


The Merging

by sarahyellow



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Jared Padalecki, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Bottom Jensen Ackles, Hate to Love, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Older Jared Padalecki, Omega Jensen Ackles, Sexual Tension, Top Jared Padalecki, Werewolf Sex, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:28:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22170310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahyellow/pseuds/sarahyellow
Summary: Most humans didn’t understand or approve of it, but the truth was that werewolves thrived better on hierarchy and dominance than anything else. Democracy was cute and all, but it usually spelled disaster for weres when they wanted any sort of organized pack living.Jared finally makes the drive out west to claim his mate.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 61
Kudos: 169





	1. Potato Salad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On—one of Dean’s two favorite songs in canon 😁

_Leaves are falling all around  
It's time I was on my way  
Thanks to you I'm much obliged  
For such a pleasant stay  
But now it's time for me to go  
The autumn moon lights my way  
For now I smell the rain  
And with it pain  
And it's headed my way  
Ah, sometimes I grow so tired  
But I know I've got one thing I got to do  
Ramble on!  
And now's the—_

_BingBingBingBingBing!_

The muted sounds of Jared’s ringtone pulled him from his thoughts—thoughts that’d been growing heavier the last fifty miles or so. He jabbed at the button to turn the radio off and struggled to keep his eyes on the road while he dug his phone out from wherever it was buried on the passenger seat. His knee dug painfully into the center console as he twisted, making him curse. “Ugh, shit. God.” _Fucking compact cars_. “Fuck, shit.” The phone only surfaced by the third ring, and he hurriedly picked up the call and jammed the phone against his ear, “Yeah, hey. Hey Jeff, I’m here.”

The voice on the other end made a friendly rumble. “I was beginning to worry.”

“Sorry.” Jared straightened back up in his seat. “I was beat last night. Stopped and got a room outside of Marfa.” The drive from San Antonio to El Paso took about eight hours, and while Jared was a man of many strengths, prolonged highway driving wasn’t one of them. “Didn’t want to fall asleep behind the wheel,” he mumbled, somewhat self-consciously. He and Jeff weren’t so well-acquainted that first impressions didn’t matter anymore. He didn’t want his de facto father-in-law to think he was weak, even in this. “I’d gotten a late start to begin with, worked a lot of hours to make sure nobody from the firm would be bothering me this weekend.”

Jeff’s understanding hum over the line assured him that there was no judgement. “No rush,” he said. “Just get here alive.”

Jared relaxed. “Yeah. I’m about an hour out. I’m checking into the _Blue Star_. I’ll get unloaded there, then head over your way right after.”

Jeff made a noise of contention. “Motel?”

“Yeah.” 

“You know you’re welcome at my place. Plenty of room.”

Jared shook his head, even though there was no one in the car with him to see. “I appreciate it, really. But—”

“Be better than a stuffy motel. This is your pack now, or it will be soon. You should be with pack.”

“Thanks Jeff, really. But I think the motel’s best for now. I don’t want to intrude.” He was quiet for a minute, Jeff not speaking either, and then he added, “It’s his house, too, you know? I don’t want to make him feel like—”

“He needs to accept that you’re his Alpha, same as the rest of them do,” Jeff cut in, sounding frustrated, though not at Jared. “Might do him good, having you close by.”

Jared huffed. “Yeah, I don’t know.” He didn’t say so to Jeff, but he was kind of the opinion that the other man was being a little tough on his adopted son—Jared’s intended mate. “You said he’s got an attitude a mile wide.”

“He does. Doesn’t mean you have to side-step it,” Jeff said. “You haven’t been around the past couple of years. Jensen’s changed. He needs to be shown his place in the pecking order.”

“Okay. Well… I’m still going to check into the motel. Maybe if things go well, maybe then I’ll come on over and use your guest room.”

“Sure.” Jeff sucked his teeth in disapproval. “Well I guess we’ll see you soon. Come over after you check in. We can have lunch.”

“Sounds good.” A beat, and then Jared asked, “Will he be there?”

Jeff scoffed. “Son, if _I_ can tell you’re nervous over the phone—”

“I’m not.”

“He’ll walk all over you,” Jeff finished firmly. “Now I know I said I’d stay out of it, but he’s been my charge since he was twelve and if you need me to sit him down and—”

“I don’t,” Jared snapped, not meaning to sound as harsh as he did but unable to keep the emotion out of his voice. He sighed when Jeff got quiet on his end of the line. He didn’t need to go making things tense with the man he was taking over from, too. Things hadn’t gone well for the wolves in El Paso, these past five years. Jared was coming to help merge their two packs and basically salvage what was left of El Paso. While it was in everyone’s best interest, there were still bound to be a few sore spots from the transition. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I just want to get things started on the right foot here. Let me get a feel for him before you go stepping in, okay?”

Jeff snorted, but didn’t argue. He wasn’t the sort of man to go running his mouth, Jared had learned from their few interactions over the years. But that didn’t mean he didn’t hold plenty of opinions. “Sure,” he said again, sounding darkly amused. “You come ‘get a feel for him’, then we’ll talk.”

Jared sighed in relief. “Yeah. Yeah okay.”

“See ya soon.”

They hung up, and Jared tried to relax back into the too small seat of the sedan. One glance to the next road sign told him he was forty miles out from the small town where he’d soon be instituting himself as pack Alpha. He turned the radio back on, wincing when the station came through with a burst of static. It cleared after a few seconds, but Jared suspected he’d soon have to spend the remainder of his drive without any music. The ground was turning more rugged now, the flat dessert highway that’d marked most of his drive giving way to hills and craggy terrain. In the near distance, hills and then mountains loomed. 

The radio gave another sputter of static, then suddenly the station’s previous song began coming through clearly again. Jared pressed down harder on the gas pedal, accelerating down the road.

_Ramble on!  
And now's the time, the time is now  
To sing my song  
I'm going 'round the world, I got to find my girl  
On my way  
I've been this way ten years to the day  
I gotta ramble on  
I gotta find the queen of all my dreams_

.oOo.

 _Paul, Texas_ was a dusty highway town that’d never amounted to much more than a spot for travelers to rest and refuel before continuing on to more important places. It was lodged neatly in between the Davis and Wylie mountain ranges of West Texas. At an hour and a half outside of El Paso, it was isolated enough to protect pack privacy. It was where the shaky remains of the El Paso werewolf pack had relocated after the death of their Alpha, years before. Fighting among the few remaining hotheads for pack leadership hadn’t gone well, no one person having had a strong enough wolf to take effective control. Everyone had basically gone their own way, calling themselves pack but living independently. Like humans.

Most humans didn’t understand or approve of it, but the truth was that werewolves thrived better on hierarchy and dominance than anything else. Democracy was cute and all, but it usually spelled disaster for weres when they wanted any sort of organized pack living. That’s what had happened in El Paso, and then in Paul.

Compounding the issue was the fact that Alpha Ackles had left behind an heir—an omega son on the verge of puberty. If that wasn’t a beacon for every trouble making, power-grabbing moron west of the Mississippi, Jared didn’t know what was. Jeff Morgan had taken Jensen into his home, and then somewhat more reluctantly taken up the mantel of interim pack leader. Jared respected the man, but they both knew that the only thing that would create long term stability for the pack was a dominant Alpha, mated to the old Alpha’s omega offspring. Not exactly a modern notion, but there were reasons why weres lived separately from mainstream human culture.

The main drag of _Paul_ consisted of two gas stations, a diner, a motel, and two bars. Most of the town’s residents lived in trailers and doublewides that couldn’t be seen from the road, with the occasional house thrown into the mix. Jared knew there was more to it—a high school and health clinic, other businesses, but the view from the main road didn’t show anything else. Caught somewhere between desolate and quaint, it was a dusty little town in the middle of nowhere that Jared had agreed to take on. The drive through town and over to the motel gave him ample opportunity to observe how much worse off Paul looked than what he remembered from his last visit three years ago. It didn’t exactly make Jared feel good about how long he’d stayed away.

Maybe this’d been a mistake, he thought glumly as he parked in front of the motel and got out of the car. Two people stood smoking cigarettes outside one of the ground-level rooms, and they stared at Jared with narrowed eyes and expressions of distaste. It was hard to tell if they were human, what with the cigarette smoke wafting around and obscuring their scent. They gave Jared an uneasy feeling though. He proceeded to the front office to pick up his key, silently questioning his choice to leave San Antonio for this merger. One awkward wince of a greeting on his way back past the two smokers—who were, unfortunately, his neighbors—and Jared shut himself away in his room.

The _Blue Star_ motel was tidy but old, and when Jared swung the door to his room open he wasn’t exactly impressed with the ambiance. Oh well. He sighed and threw his bags onto the bed. At least it seemed clean inside. He couldn’t smell any hint of previous occupant, human or were, which was unusual and appreciated. He briefly contemplated unpacking his things but decided against it. Who knew how long he had before Jeff pressured him into staying at his house? 

.oOo.

Jeff’s house was far from the main road, set back in a sparsely wooded lot. There was a large truck and a vintage Chevy Impala parked in the driveway. Jared parked behind the Chevy and got out. He looked around and gave the property a once over, thinking that it had a nice feel to it. The trees around the house seemed larger and the underbrush thicker, which was pleasing to Jared’s inner wolf. He took a deep inhale of the air, re-learning the smell of the nearby nature. Somewhere in the near distance was running water, and the old smoke of a burn pile could be detected as well. Jared couldn’t make out the scent of any other wolves, but he figured that was because whoever the cars belonged to must be inside the house. There were no visible neighbors. He headed up to the porch and knocked twice. The door swung open, and there stood Jeff. The man smiled and pulled Jared in.

“Padalecki,” he gruffed, giving him a one-armed hug and pat on the back. 

Jared grinned and returned the greeting. “Jeff. Good to see you.”

“Come on in, I’ve got Adam here making us some lunch.” Jeff nodded at a teenage boy as they rounded the kitchen. He definitely looked younger than the last picture Jared had seen of Jensen. So sixteen, maybe seventeen.

The boy looked up with nervous eyes. Jared could see it as he scented the air and realized who Jared was. “Alpha,” the boy mumbled, nodding respectfully and fixing his eyes back on the bowl of food he was tossing. It looked like potato salad. 

Jeff and Jared both grew uncomfortably quiet at the title. Adam was Jeff’s one biological child, and up until very recently, ‘Alpha’ would’ve been the title Adam granted his father. But now Jared was here, ready to relieve Jeff of his interim role as pack Alpha. Jared cleared his throat awkwardly and avoided Jeff’s gaze. Jeff pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat down with a weary grunt. Jared winced. “Um, hi Adam. You can just call me Jared, for now. Nothing’s official yet.” 

Adam’s eyes flicked back up to him, this time assessing him more closely. He looked uncertain, but at Jared’s attempt of a reassuring smile, the kid seemed to settle. “Jared,” he said quietly. “Nice to meet you.”

Jared smiled. “You too.” He watched as the kid continued getting lunch ready, assembling sandwiches and setting out a cooler full of drinks, then plates. Jared didn’t offer to help—it would’ve been awkward and rude if he did. This kid was obviously omega, and this was his family’s house. It was his job to make sure guests were taken care of. Jared wouldn’t dare insult him by suggesting he could take over. 

“Oh, and this is Bobby,” Jeff said, just as someone else entered the room. It was a gruff, older looking man, and he was in a wheelchair. 

The man wheeled over to the table and nodded at Jared after giving him a long once-over. “You’re the Alpha from San Antonio. Jesus you’re tall. How the hell old are you?”

“Twenty-seven?”

“Well try and sound like you’re sure of it. Christ.” Bobby leveled him with a stern stare. “So you’re the one who’s forcing us to move.”

Jared stiffened. “Nobody’s forcing anything,” he said. 

“Not what I heard.”

“We have a lot of good land in San Antonio,” Jared defended. “It’s organized. A lot more opportunity for some of the folks who aren’t doing so well out here.”

Bobby snorted. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Pack structure is great, out east. We can help you get on your feet.” Bobby raised his eyebrows sky high. “Uh, that is… so to speak.” Jared flushed and averted his eyes from Bobby’s clearly paralyzed legs. “We’ve got tons of social assistance, jobs. More permanent housing.”

Bobby scowled. “Not everybody needs a fancy house.”

“I... guess not.” Jared didn’t know what to say to make Bobby like him, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t figure it out soon. “We also have good relations with the general population.”

“Humans?” Bobby grunted and grabbed a can from the cooler—a beer. He snapped it open and took a swig. “Yeah, I’ve heard how fond you all are of ‘em out your way. Real HarmOneous.”

Jared stiffened at the audible distrust in Bobby’s voice. “Yes,” he said. “We _are_. Public awareness campaigns are pretty well funded in that part of the state. And the nearby rangers get our situation, understand our needs. We’ve negotiated safe running conditions for the entire pack.” Jared wasn’t sure if Bobby was capable of running in his wolf form, but by the way the man’s eyes snapped to attention, he guessed that he was. “Nobody _has_ to move,” he reiterated. “Right now I just want to get acquainted with the pack. Jeff told me you’re a good man to know for that.”

Bobby snorted and waved him off. “This idjit? Ha.” 

Jared wasn’t entirely sure what to say back to that. “Well…” he stammered. “It’s um, nice to finally meet you, anyway.”

Bobby nodded, attention moving to his beer more than the conversation. Jared tried to move on from the awkward introduction. “Um, this looks great,” he offered as everything was brought to the table. Sitting down across from Jeff, he nodded at the fifth plate that Adam had set out. “Is uh, is Jensen eating with us?” Adam froze where he was about to rip open the bag of potato chips. His eyes flicked nervously to his father, the combined scent of the two of them making Jared raise his eyebrows. “Sorry. Didn’t you say he was home?”

Jeff nodded. “Yeah. He’s upstairs.”

“Oh.” Everyone stayed awkwardly quiet, and Jared inhaled slowly, understanding. No doubt Jensen would’ve heard his car pulling up outside. And even if he hadn’t, he definitely would’ve heard and smelled him once he came in the house. Obviously, Jensen was avoiding them. It was… rude, but Jared tried to act like the absence didn’t bother him. Adam handed out the sandwiches he’d made, and they each took portions of the side dishes. Jared made sure to compliment Adam on the food once again, and Bobby and Jeff asked a few friendly questions about how his drive over was, but other than that, the meal was eaten in relative silence. 

The quiet tension in the room broke when Jeff finally snapped at Adam, “This is ridiculous. You go tell him to get down here.”

Adam started to go, but Jared pushed his chair out and stood. “No, no it’s okay. Maybe it’d be better if I went up.”

Jeff snorted. “You think?”

“Well I don’t know.”

“S’damn disrespectful,” Jeff growled. “I told him to come down. We’re having _lunch_.”

Jared winced. “I’m gonna go up and just… talk to him. Maybe he’s, you know, tired or something.”

Jeff made a noise of discontent, though Jared took it as being aimed at Jensen and not at himself. “Good luck,” Jeff grunted. 

Jared spared one last glance at Adam, who by now was looking entirely uncomfortable. “Thanks for lunch,” he told him softly. “It was very good.” Adam seemed to glow a little bit at the praise, but he avoided replying. Jared figured the kid was probably at a loss as to how to address him, now. “It’s just Jared,” he reminded warmly, before turning for the hallway to go upstairs. 

.oOo.

Jared hadn’t been around Jensen in years, but it wasn’t hard to pick out the scent of angry, stressed out omega once he hit the upstairs hallway. He followed it to the third bedroom door and raised his hand to knock lightly. 

“What?” came a voice, one that Jared found himself taken-aback by but instantly drawn to. Jensen’s voice had deepened since he’d seen him last.

“It’s me,” he said softly. “Jared.” No reply. Jared pushed lightly on the door, making it swing inwards to reveal the room.

Jensen was laying down, sprawled across the room’s bed. Jared was instantly struck by how pretty he was. Not that he hadn’t been before, but at nineteen, the kid had matured into a handsome young man. Jared couldn’t help the way his eyebrows rose as he stared. Three years had done the boy good. His features were marred by the ugly look he shot Jared’s way. “Hey! I didn’t say you could come in.”

“Sorry,” Jared said. “I thought I’d come up and say hi. Thought maybe we could talk. …In private,” he added. He watched as Jensen’s features softened briefly, then firmed back up into something obstinate. “Jeff thought you might be feeling a little um, hesitant. To come downstairs that is.”

“Gee, ya think?”

Jared frowned. “Your brother made lunch.”

“Good for him. Happy little house omega,” Jensen snapped. “And he’s not my brother.”

Jared crossed his arms, trying to figure out what to say. “I know that.” He took a step further into the room. Jensen tensed and sat up in the bed, eyes wide as he watched Jared move. His scent was coming off nervous but… receptive. Hm, interesting. Jared tilted his head as he considered him, inhaling more thoughtfully this time. Jensen smelled sweet and homey, like old fabric and pancake syrup. It made Jared’s skin prickle anxiously, and he wondered if maybe the kid was close to heat. “Jeff says you’re not too happy about all of this,” he said, watching the omega’s expression carefully. “I know change isn’t easy.”

“Nobody asked me my opinion,” Jensen replied. His green eyes were narrowed at about the level of Jared’s chest, not making eye contact. 

“It’s been talked about since you were fourteen,” Jared pointed out. “You and I've talked about it. You knew. Your pack is dying. You need this.”

Jensen’s jaw worked in frustration, though he offered no argument to that. “You’re blocking my car,” he wound up saying.

“Excuse me?”

“My car. You’ve got me parked in.” He nodded over to the bedroom window, where the driveway was visible below. “I need to get out of here and you’re blocking the way with that clown car of yours.”

Jared’s lips quirked. “It’s a rental.” He’d been trying to do the green thing, renting the hybrid with good gas mileage. Jared could see the scorn in Jensen’s eyes. Kid must be into cars. “The Chevy?” he asked. “That yours?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a sweet ride.”

Jensen scowled. “Don’t patronize me.”

“I wasn’t.” Jared was unamused by the younger man’s attitude. “You should come on down and spend some time with us,” he said. “Your brother made lunch, and I suspect Bobby’s here for the occasion.” Jensen grunted at him and got up from the bed. He went over to his desk and started grabbing things off it—a wallet, keys. “Jen?” 

Jensen whirled around to face him. “Don’t call me that.” 

“Oh?” Jared took a step closer, putting them toe-to-toe. He could see the way that Jensen tensed, how his scent spiked when Jared bent down to nose at his jaw. “Tilt your head for me, Omega,” he murmured.

Jensen jerked as if stung. “Not yet,” he hissed. “You just got here!”

Jared barked out a surprised laugh, he couldn’t help it. “I’m not going to mark you, Jesus. I just want your scent.”

Jensen colored, but he straightened back up and bent his neck in a carefully measured show of submission. “Am I supposed to call you Alpha now?” he asked tersely.

“Jared’s fine for now,” Jared said, pressing his face against Jensen’s neck and taking in the heady-sweet smell of him. Kid was definitely close to heat. “I’ll move my car when you come down and act like an adult,” he murmured into his skin. He could hear the younger man’s sharp inhale, but was surprisingly met with no retort. Jared hummed in satisfaction. “Come on,” he said, turning for the door.

Downstairs, three surprised faces turned their way in the kitchen. Jeff said, “Jen,” but was cut off.

“Don’t,” Jensen grunted, pushing past the table and heading for the front door. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jared asked. “I’m not moving my car.”

“Not asking you to,” Jensen threw back as he pushed past the front door and stomped out onto the porch. 

Jared shot Jeff a questioning look, but the other man just shrugged and looked away. Bobby was watching everything with an exasperated air, and Adam was hunkering over his plate like it was the only thing he could see. Jared twisted his lips and patted him on the shoulder as he passed. “Take it easy, kid.”

Out on the front porch, he was greeted by the sight of Jensen’s naked back. He was standing in the yard and stripping down unceremoniously. The pants and underwear went next. “You’re just gonna shift mid-cycle?” Jared asked, disapproving. “Day run? Alone?”

“Why not?” Jensen was shoving all of his clothes through the open window of his car. He looked back at Jared. “Gonna stop me?”

Jared ground his teeth. In all honesty, he probably should. His wolf was itching underneath his skin, trying to get him to shift and take his mate by the scruff of the neck. “You guys don’t have negotiated lands for running,” he said instead, trying to keep his cool. “It’s not safe.”

Jensen scoffed. “Don’t worry, _Alpha_ , I’m not going to run. Just getting the hell away from here.”

“Uh huh. And if you hit heat while you’re out?” Jared asked. It was blunt, but he had a feeling that’s what he’d need to be, with this kid. He watched in mild satisfaction as Jensen’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shifting can trigger it,” Jared pointed out. 

“I _know_ that,” Jensen hissed. He turned back away and stalked around to the other side of the Impala. He crouched down out of sight. “Just leave me alone,” he said, voice sounding just a little bit more resigned than it had a moment ago. 

There were things Jared wanted to say to that, of course, but he kept them to himself. No point, he thought. He knew what Jensen was doing down behind the barrier of the car right now. He chose to stand on the porch, waiting long minutes until he could be fairly sure that the other man’s shift was complete. “Don’t go far,” he called out. “And stay away from people.”

The only answer he got was a brief glance from the tawny wolf that appeared from behind the car seconds later. Jared stared, appreciating the grace of Jensen’s wolf, how it looked like him even when it didn’t. Light fur and green eyes—werewolves weren’t like their animal counterparts; they didn’t always look like natural wolves. Jensen was small in his other form, but he held himself erect. He pulled his upper lip up, baring his canines in a silent snarl, before turning around and bounding off into the nearby tree line. Jared sighed as he watched him go.

He startled a little when he turned around and saw that Bobby was on the porch, watching him. Bobby’s lips were twisted wryly. “You mind telling me what took you so long?” he asked.

Jared frowned. “Huh?”

“Oh come on,” Bobby scowled. He flung his hand out towards the direction in which Jensen had gone. “You’ve been slated to mate that boy since he was fourteen.” Bobby sounded disgusted as he said it. “What the hell was so important that you had to wait till he was this bad off?”

“Bad off?” Jared crossed his arms, not liking how Bobby was coming at him over this. “Look, I wasn’t going to mate any fourteen-year-old.”

“Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen?” Jared shook his head and Bobby snarled. “You’ve spent too much time around humans,” he said. “Think too much like ‘em. Now look what you’re stuck with.” When it was clear that Jared wasn’t sure what he was talking about, Bobby huffed and added, “The boy’s angry, defiant. He’s turned into a damn troublemaker that won’t submit to anyone.” Bobby shot him a dirty look. “Boy hasn’t gotten anything he needs and now he’s all warped. That’s your fault.”

“I had things I wanted, too,” Jared defended. “I came as soon as I got my foot in at a good law firm.”

Bobby scoffed. “Aw, well isn’t that great. Mr. Fancy Lawyer.”

“It’s important.”

“Well just so you’re clued in, while you were taking your good old time with your schoolin’ and your lawyerin’, our pack omega was out here, getting more restless and outta control.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jeff must’ve told you? Kid’s been getting worse every year. Running out, drinking, sluttin’ around with those damn motorcycle gangs,”

“What?!”

Bobby glared at him. “Oh, now you’re interested?”

Jared huffed and uncrossed his arms, raking one hand through his hair in stress. He glanced back towards where Jensen had disappeared into the woods. “Jeff didn’t say anything.” That wasn’t entirely true. The other alpha had mentioned Jensen’s attitude and behavioral problems over the years. But he’d never made it sound like… “He’s putting himself in danger?” Jared asked.

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Bobby looked angrily at him. “He’s out shooting pool in bars with strange wolves. Where the _hell_ do you think that leads, huh?” Bobby scoffed and shook his head. “Last thing we need is the pack omega getting knocked up by some trouble-making stray! He’s putting everyone in danger. Kid doesn’t appreciate his position in this pack, doesn’t realize what it means.”

Jared growled, only this time it was long and low—his wolf coming to the surface. He felt the urge to shift, to take his clothes off and huddle down low until his skin and bones rearranged themselves into the shape that would let him chase down his mate. He had to grit his teeth to fight back the urge. Glancing back to the tree line, he said, “Where does he usually go?”

Bobby raised an eyebrow, and just at that moment, Jeff came out onto the porch. The look on his face said that he knew what they’d been discussing. “He shift?”

Both Jared and Bobby nodded.

Jeff grunted in annoyance. “He should be safe.”

“Should be?” Jared asked dubiously. 

“I’ve tracked him once or twice. There’s a place out in the woods he goes, a den.”

Jared didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “He has a _den_ out there?” Most omegas didn’t look for dens out in nature unless they were mated. Such places were for nesting, for riding out heats with mates, for having pups. It set Jared’s teeth on edge, thinking of Jensen in such a place by himself. Or worse—with some other wolf. “Who?” Jared asked darkly, sure that this meant that Jensen had been intimate with another. Sleeping around with strange bikers was very different from denning up and sharing a heat with another wolf. Jared fought to keep from yelling out when he wasn’t immediately answered. “Who?!”

Bobby flinched but Jeff remained calm. “Relax. It’s not like he went out and made it himself. It’s an old spot. Pack used to use it all the time, but most people don’t even know it exists anymore. Jen found it years ago, says he goes there to be alone, clear his mind.”

Jared calmed a little at hearing that. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“But um,” Jared fidgeted, not knowing a delicate way to ask, “He’s… he smelled pretty close, up in his room.” He watched the way that Jeff colored and Bobby looked away. “He won’t go looking, for someone?” _For someone to satisfy him through his heat_ , went unsaid. Jared hated to talk about this and he was sure it was the _last_ thing Jensen’s adoptive father wanted to think about, but even someone as understanding as Jared had a possessive side. He needed to know. “Jeff?”

“He’s never paired with anyone, s’far as I can tell,” Jeff gruffed out. His face was pinched in discomfort. “I gave him the talk, best I could anyways. He knows what he needs to.”

“Okay. Good.”

The three of them were quiet then, awkward after having just discussed how their pack omega liked to spend his heats. Bobby cleared his throat. “Uh, Jeff, you want to get me home?” Jeff nodded and then the two of them headed down to the driveway. 

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Jeff called back. “Don’t feel like you have to go after him. He’ll be fine.” 

Jared nodded and watched as Jeff helped Bobby up into the truck, then stowed his wheelchair in the back. He waited until the truck was inching down the driveway before he called out and said, “I might head back to the motel for the night. Bobby it was nice meeting you!” He waved to make it final and could see Bobby’s nod and Jeff’s disapproving expression as the truck continued backing up, too far away for Jeff to be able to offer much of an argument to the decision. Jared felt relieved as he watched them go. Now he wouldn’t be roped into bedding down at the Morgan’s house. Jared was worried about how he would fare, having to take the guest bedroom right next to Jensen’s room when he was in heat. That was if the kid even came back before it was over. 

Jared turned and went back into the house. He found Adam in the kitchen, cleaning up from lunch. The teenager gave him a respectful nod as he came in and Jared couldn’t help but to smile. He liked Jensen’s little brother on instinct. The kid seemed sweet, eager to please. “Hey,” Jared said, leaning against the wall and watching as Adam loaded dishes into the dishwasher. “Anything I can help with?”

Adam’s eyes widened and he frowned. “No.”

Jared laughed. “Okay, just checking. Hey,” he paused and tried to think of the best way to ask his question, sure that it would embarrass the younger man. “So… your brother,”

“Is an asshole,” Adam murmured. It was quiet, but definitely meant for Jared to hear. 

Jared chuckled. “Uh, well that remains to be seen. But um, I’m kinda worried about him. Does he usually run off when he’s, uh… when it’s his time?” Jared could see it as Adam flushed at the question, but he was quick to nod in answer. “I see,” Jared said. “Well I just wanted to know, does he stay out the whole time?” Jared hoped not. As bad as having to be around Jensen and remain impartial to his heat scent might be, not knowing what he was doing out in the wild for days on end would be worse. Jared wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself from tracking the him down. “Adam?” he asked.

“No,” Adam said. “No he comes back. He probably just ran out because you were here.” Nervously, his eyes flicked up to Jared’s. “He’ll come back. Probably tonight.”

That made Jared feel a lot better. He inhaled deeply. “Okay. Thanks.”

Adam nodded tightly, then went back to moving about the kitchen, putting things away. He paused when he’d scooped up all the potato salad into a container and was about to put it in the fridge. “Oh, um… dad said you might be staying at the motel. Did you want to take some with you?” He gestured with the Tupperware.

Jared smiled and shook his head. “Naw, but thanks. I’d just wind up stress eating it all tonight, and that stuff’s always better on the second day.” He winked. “I’ll be by tomorrow to have some more.” That seemed to cheer Adam up nicely, and Jared said goodbye and headed for the door. 

.oOo.

It was a short drive back to the motel. Before bed, Jared answered a bunch of emails from his work. He’d negotiated time off for this trip, but the fact remained that he was a new face at the firm. He’d have to keep up with cases and company happenings even while he was away, if he wanted to do well at his job. And he did.

The way Bobby had talked to him about his job hadn’t sat well with Jared, though he’d pushed past his offense at the time. Now, he wondered if that was how others in the El Paso pack felt about his career ambitions. Jared had never thought he’d been placing anything ahead of his duties as pack Alpha. Or, at least not _that_ far ahead. Some omegas were ready to be mated younger, but it’d been pretty clear that Jensen wasn’t one of them. That’s what Jared had told himself when he’d gone off to college, when he’d switched his major to pre-law halfway through undergrad, and then when he’d applied to law school. Even when he’d taken the position at the firm last year, he’d told himself it would be alright, that another year wouldn’t hurt anything, the wolves in El Paso would make do and Jensen would get a little more time before…

Jared slumped at the motel’s tiny two-seater table, stalled in answering his emails. _Shit_ , he thought. What if he’d just been lying to himself all along? What if he’d been using Jensen’s moody teenage personality as an excuse to justify putting this merge off? Had the El Paso pack really been struggling that badly these past couple of years? 

Jared thought about it, picturing the dusty road he’d traversed into town; the sad, beaten-down sorts of businesses that clung to the main road; the unkempt trailers and doublewides that provided housing to the pack members who hadn’t yet scattered to the wind. Jared sighed, his eyes slipping shut as he felt discouragement flood himself. God, he hoped he hadn’t done the wrong thing in waiting so long.

But he shook his head after a moment of feeling sorry for himself. There was no turning back now. He would just have to do his best for these people, offer what help he could, and mend the tenuous relationship he now had with Jeff and Bobby and, most importantly, Jensen. He could only do what he could do. 

He was extra tired by the time the sun went down. He shut his laptop and went to take a shower, dried off and slipped into bed naked. Unlike the motel he’d stayed in the night previous, the _Blue Star_ was clearly were-owned, as the sheets had been so stringently laundered as to smell neutral (the ones in Marfa had not). Jared fell asleep within minutes of laying his head on the pillow, and proceeded to have all sorts of weird dreams about his new pack, his new mate, and a convoluted legal case involving potato salad.


	2. Blackberry-Thyme Pie

There are certain questions that, when asked, unite people. Humans ask each other about 9/11, about Kennedy being shot. The collective, _“Where were you when…”_ question that everyone understands. _Where were you when the world turned upside down?_ Everyone over a certain age has an answer. Werewolves have their own version. 

_“Where were you when the humans found out?”_ is how it’s most commonly phrased. 

Jared was sixteen and sitting in the middle of geometry class, when the national news broke the story of a man going furry in a federal penitentiary, when the headlines suddenly read “Monsters are Real,” and “Wolves are Among Us,” and “How Many are There?” He’d been a lanky, lazy teenager when the teacher had stopped teaching and turned on the news; twenty-seven seconds of grainy cctv footage from a prison cell block in Indiana. The video had flashed across America’s tv screens for weeks on end. A famous news-anchor with too much schooling for his own good had dug out the word, “Anagnorisis,” and it’d stuck. 

The packs had panicked. Half of San Antonio had driven out to El Paso so that Alpha Padalecki and Alpha Ackles could figure out what the hell they were going to do. School was out for the summer, and Jared went along.

 _“What does it mean?”_ Jensen, then eight, had whisper-asked him as they sat in the Ackles’ family room, one room over from where the senior pack members—both of their fathers included—were arguing quietly. Jared had been tasked with keeping Jensen out of the way while important pack decisions were made. “Jared?”

“I dunno,” Jared said. But Jensen hadn’t left it alone until Jared went to the Ackles’ family computer and googled the word. “‘A moment in a plot or story when a character makes a critical discovery’,” Jared recited as he read. “Greek, for recognition.”

Jensen pouted, bored by the definition. “Why won’t they let me watch tv?” he asked instead, whining.

Jared sighed. Long-term babysitting was not his idea of a cool way to spend summer vacation, but ever since the news broke a week ago, it seemed like that’s exactly what he’d be doing for the foreseeable future. Alpha Ackles and his dad weren’t exactly in agreement about what to do, after all. Jared could hear them through the door at times when their whispers grew too heated.

_“Other packs are already talking to the media. How long until somebody mentions us, huh? If we’re going to be outed, better we do it ourselves.”_

_“No. We need to stay under the radar. Think of the kids! They’re in school with humans. We do business with humans. We can’t afford—”_

Jared startled when he heard the tv click on, the voices of newscasters and commentators snapping to life. He whipped around and grabbed the remote out of Jensen’s hands, hurriedly jabbing the off button.

“Hey!”

“No,” Jared grunted. He tossed the remote to the other end of the couch.

“I’m not a baby!” Jensen yelled.

“You kinda are,” Jared said. “And shh. Be quiet.” He didn’t want to have one of the adults poking their heads in and yelling at him because he couldn’t keep one nosy pup quiet. “Trust me, you don’t want to see what they’re saying on the news.” Or what they were showing. The choppy, black and white video of that werewolf being splattered against the wall of a cell block, his dead body being lightly kicked by the steel-toed boots of the scared shitless prison guards. Jared himself was kind of sorry he’d seen the video as many times as he had.

_The footage we’re about to show you may be disturbing to some viewers._

Yeah, no kidding.

“Just… trust me,” Jared said again. He pulled Jensen’s little body up onto the couch with him, laid them both out lengthwise. He nosed into the kid’s hair kindly. “You wouldn’t like it.”

Jensen was quiet for a long minute, then he said meekly, “They’re angry, aren’t they?”

“They’re scared.”

“I’m not stupid,” Jensen whispered. “People are… they’re yelling. They’re saying mean things, starting fires.”

Jared clenched his jaw, figured that ‘fires’ referred to the arsons that’d happed at a few werewolf homes and businesses in other packs that had already revealed themselves. It had all been well-televised in the past week, so Jared figured Jensen had snuck in some illicit tv time after all. Jared felt a sudden wave of sadness come over him at the obvious worry in Jensen’s voice. He was just a little kid. He shouldn’t have to be worrying about things like this. He shouldn’t even know about it. 

“People do mean things when they’re scared,” he told him, careful to keep his voice calm. He just wanted to protect Jensen from all of the ugliness that was happening, and which—no matter what route their pack leaders decided to take—would eventually be directed at them. Jared didn’t have a clue what they’d do then. “You don’t have to worry,” he lied. “We’re safe here. Our dads are good Alphas. They’ll keep us safe.”

Jared would never forget the way that Jensen calmed and snuggled into him, so easily reassured. So trusting. “Promise?” he asked around a yawn.

“I…” Jared didn’t have the heart to tell the truth, so he lied again. “Yeah. I promise.” 

.oOo.

Jared woke up early the next morning and went out for a jog. He surveyed the town that way, making a circuit down the main road, around past the high school and further back by the trailer park. taking everything in. After his run he grabbed a cup of coffee at the diner and loitered along the sidewalk as he sipped it. There were more than a few empty storefronts that he could distinctly remember not having been boarded up, years ago. Seeing it made him sad. It wasn’t like this in San Antonio.

After the initial lash-out following the _anagnorisis_ , things hadn’t been so bad. Were-owned businesses recovered, sometimes even doing well. It was all a matter of presentation, as well as location. _Paul, Texas_. was not a good location. It was small and out of the way, leaving it forgotten half of the time, and vulnerable to prejudice from passers-by the rest. Jared sat on a park bench for a little bit and watched the cars that drove through town without stopping, headed in the direction of the city. He sighed.

If only Alpha Ackles had sided with Jared’s dad. If only the El Paso wolves had revealed themselves early on, created their own narrative about who and what they were, what they stood for… 

But that wasn’t what had happened. While Jared and his family and friends took measured steps to assimilate, the wolves out west had kept hidden until people—the wrong people—outed them. Then they’d gotten the push back. Ackles had been killed in a tragic but unsurprising attack, and the pack had been forced out to Paul. 

Jared finished his coffee and threw it away in one of the park’s trash cans. He started back in the direction of the motel, thinking that he’d shower and drive over to Jeff’s place soon. He needed to talk more in-depth today about setting up a forum for the pack members to come out and ask questions. Jared also really, really needed to get over to the Morgan house to make sure that Jensen had come home safe last night. He wouldn’t be able to focus on anything productive until then. 

It was as he was crossing the motel parking lot and pulling his room key out of his pocket that he was approached by the two smokers who were staying next door. 

“Hey,” the man said. Not very eloquent, but Jared was unsurprised. The pair—a man and a woman—didn’t look the eloquent type.

Jared tried to keep a friendly face. “Morning. You two travelling through town?”

“You’re the new Alpha?” This from the woman. She had faint creases around her mouth that made her look no-nonsense. 

Jared straightened up, trying to get a scent from the air but coming up with only stale cigarettes. “I am,” he said, firm but calm. “Who are you?”

“I’m Trina.” The woman jabbed her thumb at her friend. “That’s Mike.”

Jared nodded. “Nice to meet you. So you’re pack?” 

Trina straightened up and gave an unfriendly smirk. “Not yet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We’re from Arkansas,” she said.

“Oh.” That didn’t please Jared. There was no reason for two lone wolves from so far away to be visiting like this. He figured that they must be strays. “I take it you weren’t invited, then.”

“We need an invitation to be here?” Mike asked. 

Jared glared at them and they each averted their eyes in an unconscious, submissive reaction. Their eyes quickly came back, but Jared pegged them as betas after all. “As long as you don’t linger,” he said. “This pack’s had enough trouble without strays coming through and trying to make trouble.”

Mike looked pissed off. “Jeff Morgan’s got your pack omega with him, don’t he?” he said. 

Jared stiffened. “Why are you asking about that?”

“Kid’s got a reputation. And we hear he’s real pretty, too.”

A tremor ran under Jared’s skin. To any human it might look like he was shivering, but what it really was, was his wolf raising its hackles. “So?” he said, tone finally as unfriendly as these two strangers’.

Trina shrugged and crossed her arms. “I heard he ain’t mated. Ain’t even interested in _you_.”

“I don’t really care what you heard,” Jared snapped. “I’d advise you to stop taking such an interest.”

“Fair game’s fair game,” Mike said. “People have been taking shots at him forever. And if all these losers are willing to follow the first wolf to mate him then we figured maybe we should give it a go.” He shrugged. “I could use some pack income. Trina could, too.”

“We heard you were coming in. Thought we’d see what sort of claim you really have on the kid.” 

Mike smirked. “Turns out, none.”

Jared couldn’t help it, he growled. And not the sort of sound that a human could make. It was low and animalistic and meant to intimidate. He pulled himself up to his full height and took a threatening step forward. Mike jumped back but Trina held her ground, albeit nervously. The very first hint of her scent peeked through the cigarette smell, and Jared reassessed that she might actually be alpha. He curled his lip at her. “Any reason why you’re standing here baiting me?” he asked. “Because as it stands, all you’re doing is setting yourself up for a real nasty fight.” Jared wasn’t a fan of day shifting, especially in motel parking lots in full view of the public. But he’d do it if he needed to. When Trina didn’t immediately rise to challenge his dominance again, he said, “I’ll make this clear with words, once. After that it’ll be teeth.” Trina’s nostrils flared. “The Ackles omega is _mine_. If you touch him, I’ll maim you at best, kill you at worst. I _AM_ the Alpha here, this pack isn’t taking applications from out-of-state hillbilly strays, and nobody is leaving Paul just because I say so.”

Trina looked like she was actually taking in his words, which was good. Unfortunately, she also looked like she was contemplating taking Jared up on his offer of a fight. That was something few weres were ever stupid enough to do. Jared hadn’t had to put a beat down on someone since he was in undergrad. His father had taught him how to showcase his dominance without resorting to such measures. He scoffed at Trina’s growing challenge. “Don’t even. I’d tear you apart and you know it.” 

Her lips tightened and her hands curled in frustration, but there was reluctant recognition in her eyes as well. Her lips quivered, like she wanted to bare her teeth and was only just managing not to.

Because of their pheromones and subtle behavioral cues, werewolves had the uncanny ability to sense dominance in one another; to threaten, to push and pull and come to silent agreement with nothing more than eye contact and flaring nostrils. It was an extremely integral part of their social system, perhaps the most important. To humans it just made them look like overreactive hotheads, but there was a complex silent language behind it. Jared knew his wolf was enough to scare the piss out of almost anyone else if he pressed his dominance, he just hoped these two morons would be able to accept it without him having to shift. “How long is your room paid up for?” he asked tightly.

Trina turned away—probably her way out of having to lower her eyes or bare her neck. It was Mike who answered, “Tomorrow.”

“Good.” Jared nodded. “Be gone by then. I don’t want to see you around, you hear me?” A low growling sound was coming from Trina, but she didn’t turn back around to face him. All of her back muscles were tensed through her teeshirt. Jared frowned heavily, thinking that either she really was very stupid, or else nobody had ever bothered to school her on pack order. “Do you hear me?!” he asked, not quite yelling.

“Yes!” She hissed. She shot a glare over her shoulder at him, then grabbed Mike by the sleeve and tugged to get him following her. They went over to a car and got in, and Jared stood there and kept firm eye contact with them as they pulled out onto the road and sped away. 

He released a long breath once the car was out of sight. “Fuck,” he murmured. He had a bad feeling about those two. They weren’t anything Jared couldn’t personally handle, but he did worry about Jensen running into them… Twisting his lips, he glanced over at the strays’ motel room door. He considered breaking in and scent-marking everything inside, all their personal possessions and the furniture. It’d piss an alpha like Trina the hell off, but it would definitely reinforce the message. Would probably even drive them out of town all the faster.

Mind made up, Jared set out to figure out a way to pick the lock and get into the other wolves’ room. If he was quick about things, he could probably make it to Jeff’s house by lunchtime again. 

.oOo.

When he got to the Morgan’s house, Adam was the only one home. He answered the door wearing a big, flowery apron and a smile. Jared couldn’t help but to smile back. The kid’s happiness was infectious. “What?” he half laughed as he followed Adam inside. One glance around the kitchen and it was obvious that baking had been happening. Jared _moaned_ at the smells that assaulted him. “Fuuck.” Adam looked over his shoulder, still grinning but with an eyebrow raised. Jared blushed. “Uh, sorry.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Jared nodded and took a more thorough look around the kitchen. It was a mess. Flour and dishes and ingredients everywhere. He spotted half an eggshell underfoot and picked it up, tossing it into the trashcan. “So are you going to tell me what smells so good?”

“Pie,” Adam answered. “Three kinds: apple, lemon meringue and berry.”

Jared groaned. “Christ. You trying to kill me?”

Adam snickered. “It wasn’t my idea. Jen’s a pie fanatic. He asked. Said he was craving—” he paused, eyes flicking more carefully to Jared’s. “Well, he can never make up his mind. About pie.”

“I see.” Jared lifted his nose, attempting to scent the house through the smell of dough and caramelized sugar. It wasn’t easy. “Is he here?”

“No, but he came home. Last night.”

Jared felt his stomach untwist from a knot he hadn’t known it was in. “Oh,” he breathed, relieved. “Good.” His anxiety settled somewhat and he walked over to where the three pies were cooling. “These look great.”

“Don’t touch,” Adam warned.

Jared stuck his finger in one of them anyway, just to hear Adam squawk. He chuckled, bringing his finger up to his mouth to lick the berry juices off it. _Holy Shit_. “Where is he now?” he asked.

“Jensen? He’s at work.”

“The daycare?”

Adam rolled his eyes like he thought Jared was a fool. “No. He’s down at Carl’s Automotive.”

Jared’s eyebrows rose. “He fixes cars now?”

“I guess.” Adam sounded disinterested. “Dad’s out at Bobby’s. Said he’d be home soon.”

Jared’s mind was still kind of fixed on the revelation that his mate was working as a mechanic. “Um, do you care if I go up to his room?” Jared asked.

“To do what? Snoop around?” 

Jared flushed, but one glance at Adam showed the younger man was unaffected. “I was going to say: to do some research.” He shifted in place uncomfortably. “It’s not like I know him anymore.” 

“Did you ever?” 

“I—” 

Adam shrugged at the sink, hands elbow deep in dishwater. “Go nuts. I won’t tell. Your scent will totally give you away though.”

 _I know_ , Jared thought but didn’t say. Instead he just said, “…Thanks,” and went upstairs. 

Inside Jensen’s room, he closed the door behind himself and leant against it for a moment. He inhaled, taking in the smell of omega that was so deeply ingrained in the room, Jared doubted it’d ever come out if the Morgans decided to move and sell the house. It was a nice smell, Jared thought. Aside from the cloying preheat scent that clung like a thin film at the surface, there were older, deeper levels of Jensen’s scent that had permeated the nooks and crannies of the room. Jared was sorely tempted to lay down on the threadbare rug and rub his nose against it. He resisted.

Instead, he walked over to the bed and sat down. It was just a little twin bed—the only thing that really made sense in the small farmhouse bedroom. It _reeked_ of Jensen. This time Jared didn’t resist leaning down and stuffing his face into the pillow, taking a deep inhale like he was seeking out a drug. He exhaled and groaned, pulling away. 

He definitely shouldn’t have kept such a distance these past years.

It’s not like they were fated to be mates or anything. Jensen smelled just as good to Jared as any other young, fertile omega might’ve. The match between them was strategic, not romantic and certainly not biologically predetermined. There were other wolves Jared could’ve mated, but the thing was… he didn’t want to. 

Despite outer appearances, Jensen’s wolf was just as much of a standout as Jared’s was—just as strongly submissive as Jared’s was dominant. It wasn't a weak vs. strong thing, like any human might assume, but rather a strong vs. strong thing. The two of them were well-matched. It’d been obvious to Jared ever since he came back to Paul the summer that Jensen turned sixteen. Before that, their mating had been an idea. After, it’d been a certainty. Jared was pretty sure he’d left Jensen unsure and confused after that visit. None of his letters or phone calls were answered after that. It’d been the last time the two of them had any contact. Jared the human might’ve been able to leave Jensen alone, but his wolf would have none of it. 

He pulled his face back up from the pillow, knowing he’d thoroughly scent-marked it and that Jensen would undoubtedly be pissed off. _Oh well,_ Jared thought. It was an appropriate gesture. Jensen needed to be reassured of his place in the pack if he was ever going to calm down and stop acting out. 

Jensen kept a tidy room, though Jared suspected that might’ve had more to do with the kid’s lack of possessions than anything else. The clothes in the closet were practical rather than fashionable, and there weren’t many. Jeans and tees, denim button-downs and a couple of lightweight jackets. Work boots. Jared shut the closet door. 

There was a bookcase that was half-full with paperback novels and half with old cassette tapes and records. Jared didn’t see a turntable anywhere, but the records were all classic rock. His lips twitched as he skimmed the titles, saw that _Cheap Trick_ and _Blondie_ were in the mix. The bottom shelf was eaten up by heavier dog-eared textbooks and binders. Jared bent down and saw that they were high school books. Curious, he pulled one of the binders out and skimmed through it. There were records of Jensen’s grades, his courses. Jared’s brow grew increasingly furrowed as he made sense of it all.

There weren’t any records past what would’ve been Jensen’s junior year. Jared felt himself frowning as he realized that Jensen had probably dropped out of high school. He huffed and sank down into the desk chair, reading over the report cards. All C’s until Junior year, then suddenly nothing but A’s. The school had started Jensen on the obligatory track for his designation that year. Jared’s eyes skimmed over the homemaking and childrearing classes, the segregated health class. _A’s_.

The poor marks in math and science had done a one-eighty as well. Jensen’s GPA had sky-rocketed. Jared gulped as he spotted a few college pamphlets stuffed into the back pocket of the binder. But there were no records to indicate a senior year had ever taken place. 

Sighing, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number of the high school guidance counselor that was printed on the transcripts. The phone rang twice before the call was picked up.

_“Wylie-Davis High School, guidance office. This is Shawna, how can I help you?”_

“Um, hi. My name’s Jared Padalecki. I’m calling about one of your former students. A Jensen Ackles. Was hoping you could answer a couple of questions for me.”

Typing noises over the other end of the line. _“What questions?”_

“Do you have his complete transcripts?”

Silence for a few seconds, and then, _“Oh, I’m sorry Sir. We can only release academic records to the graduates themselves, or to parents of minors. It says here Mr. Ackles has aged out of the system so I can’t—”_

“I’m his Alpha,” Jared said, injecting authority into his tone and hoping that a human guidance counselor’s ignorance of werewolf culture would be enough to get him a free pass on information.

 _“Oh… Oh!”_ The woman gave an embarrassed chuckle. _“Sorry, yes. Now I see that he was in our Specials classes for the uh… the um...”_

Jared rolled his eyes. He could only imagine how pathetic and underfunded the government-mandated werewolf education track was in a place like _Paul_. “Yes I saw that. What I want to know is what happened his senior year,” he said.

Shawna hummed. _“Well it looks like he didn’t come back after his sixth semester. Or… oh wait. No, he did come back. He registered for classes at least. But it looks like he stopped attendance after the first week or so of the quarter.”_ She hummed in concern and clacked on her computer some more. _“Oh.”_

“What?”

_“Well the counselor assigned to work with him wrote some notes in his file.”_

Jared frowned. “What notes?”

 _“He’d been having problems with fighting,”_ she said. _“Says he was suspended several times his junior year, and then threatened with expulsion at the very beginning of the next semester.”_

“What? Why?” Jared huffed. “That makes no sense. His grades were amazing.”

 _“Hm, yes they were. Well I’ll be darned, that’s strange.”_ The woman’s confused chuckle irritated the hell out of Jared. _“Sorry, I wasn’t working here then,”_ she said. _“I’m just going off the notes, here.”_

“Does it say who he was fighting with?”

_“Mm, no. Just says here that he instigated several physical altercations where other students wound up injured.”_

“Injured?”

_“M’yep. That’s all it says. Whatever happened, it looks like he got the blame.”_

Jared could imagine what the segregation at _Wylie-Davis High_ must look like. He imagined bullies, picking on one of the only were-track kids in the omega classes. “The other students he hurt; they were human, weren’t they?” Jared guessed.

 _“No. They were in the Specials program along with Jensen,”_ the woman said, shocking Jared. What reason would Jensen have had to suddenly start fighting with his own kind? And so badly that he dropped out?

“So he _was_ expelled,” Jared said.

 _“No. He just stopped coming to classes.”_ Shawna hummed thoughtfully as she examined her files. Based on the audibility of the clacking, Jared thought that she must’ve had long nails, probably acrylic. _“Looks like… yeah. We sent a social worker out, but nothing came of it. I’m sorry but that’s all I’ve got on him. The notes end there. Would you like me to email you the information we discussed, Alpha Padaleski?”_ She was back to using her friendly-professional voice, full-force now.

Jared winced and refrained from correcting her on the name, or telling her that humans really didn’t need to address them by their designation titles. “No. It’s fine. You’ve been, uh, helpful. Thanks.” 

After the call cut off, Jared was left to wonder what the heck could have happened to make Jensen quit school when he’d been doing so well. He decided that he’d ask him later. He continued to root through Jensen’s things, somewhat convinced he’d turn up porn (hilarious) or drugs (not), but he found neither. It was only when he found what was clearly a diary shoved into the back of one of the desk drawers that Jared decided to call it quits. He couldn’t bring himself to read through Jensen’s diary. He just couldn’t. Werewolves might had a severe lack of boundaries, but Jared was still half human. He gently placed the diary back where he’d found it. 

It was the sound of a throat clearing that alerted him to another’s presence. He straightened up in the desk chair and looked over his shoulder to see Jeff standing in the doorway. “Oh,” he said, relieved that it wasn’t Jensen. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Jeff’s eyes surveyed him knowingly. He was wearing coveralls over his clothes and Jared remembered that he helped out at Bobby’s old salvage yard since the man’s injury, years ago. “Came home for lunch,” Jeff said. “You?”

Jared stood and walked over. “I wanted to talk to Jensen, actually.”

“He won’t like that you were in here.”

“Course he won’t. But you and I both know he needs to know I was.”

Jeff grunted in a way that meant he agreed. “He doesn’t usually come home for lunch when he’s working. If you want to take him some of Adam’s pie, coax him into talking, feel free.”

Jared perked up, liking the idea. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah maybe I will.” He trailed after Jeff as the other man went downstairs. “Adam said pie is Jensen’s favorite.”

Jeff snorted. “You’re darn right.” In the kitchen he nodded at Adam. “Box some of the apple up. Jared’s gonna take it to the garage.”

Adam frowned, though he did start moving to follow Jeff’s orders. “He should come home if he really wants some,” he muttered. “No reason Jared should have to hoof it across town to deliver this to _his Highness_.” Jared suppressed a slight grin, thinking that it was cute how Adam obviously competed with his adopted brother. “I’m the one who made it,” Adam grumped.

“Could you pack me a slice of the berry?” Jared asked. “I only got the one taste, but it was really good. Don’t think I’ve ever tasted berry pie quite like that. There’s something to it…”

“Thyme,” Adam said proudly. “Just a little; in the crust, mixed with the berries while they’re cooking. It enhances the flavors.”

“Huh.” Jared nodded. “Never would’ve known.”

“That’s the idea.” 

Jared smiled. “Right. Well pack ‘em up kid.”

Adam handed over two foil and plastic-wrapped pieces of pie, and Jeff saw him out onto the front porch. “Here,” he said, stuffing two twenty-dollar bills into Jared’s palm in place of a handshake. 

Jared shook his head and tried to give it back but was refused. “Buy him lunch,” Jeff insisted. “At the diner in town. If you really want to get him to talk to you, he won’t open up in front of his buddies at the garage, and he sure as hell won’t say a word here at home.” Jeff nodded firmly. “Take him out, make the gesture. It’ll help.”

Jared really, really hoped so. He closed his fingers around the bills and shoved them in his jeans pocket. “Okay. Thanks.”

.oOo.

 _Carl’s Automotive_ was the only garage in town, attached to one of the two gas stations on the main road. Jared found it easily and he walked into the work bay, rather than the office where customers were supposed to go. There was a radio playing quietly in the garage, providing background music to the occasional whir of power tool and clank of metal. Jared scanned the bay, eyes coming to rest on the lower torso and legs of Jensen where he was laying underneath a car. Jared only knew it was him because of his scent, and even that was a weak thing underneath all the motor oil and grease. “Hey,” he said, letting his voice alert the other wolf to his presence.

Jensen’s torso stilled, his arms stopped in their motions underneath the vehicle. A long pause, and then he was rolling smoothly out from underneath the car. His green eyes were already narrowed, and Jared was struck all over again by how much the summer sun bleached out the kid’s hair. “What’re you doing here?” he asked. His mean look might’ve been more effective if he didn’t have such pretty features. Grease smear-over-freckles-over-almost but not-quite-straight nose. It was incredibly endearing. Also, Jared was sure he’d get his offer of lunch rejected if he commented on it.

He grinned and held up the two lumpy bundles of foil and plastic wrap. “Pie. Thought I’d come bribe you to have lunch with me.”

Jensen, for all of his machismo, spent a second looking surprised, and then pleased. “What kind of pie?” he asked warily. 

Jared smiled even wider. He toed at the wheel of the creeper, jostling Jensen where he lay. “Come on, please? I thought we could go to the diner.”

Jensen twisted his lips, but he scooted out further and sat up on the creeper. He pulled a rag from one of his pockets—coveralls, tied around his waist by the arms. It was a good look on him—and wiped his hands off. “I have to ask my boss,” he said. And hey, even if he didn’t sound thrilled, at least he was going along with it. Jared counted it as a win.

He waited while Jensen went into the back office and spoke with someone, then returned. The coveralls had been shed, leaving him in his jeans and black tee shirt. Jared let his eyes rove up and down Jensen’s body appreciatively. He snapped out of it though when Jensen tried reaching for the pie. “Nope,” he said, yanking it away. “They’re for dessert.”

Jensen grunted but didn’t argue. He moved for the bay door. “Well come on, then.”

“Wait.”

Jensen turned, confused. Jared stepped up close to him, cradling both pieces of pie in his left hand so that he could reach up and thumb at the streak of grease on Jensen’s face. It went from the bridge of his nose all the way to one cheekbone, and by the time Jared had it all cleared off, he saw that Jensen’s eyes had frozen on him, his pupils expanded and lips parted just the barest bit. Suddenly, Jared could smell him a little better through all the motor oil. “You had dirt,” he said quietly, though it was more than obvious at that point. 

“…Thanks,” Jensen said slowly. “Um… diner’s this way.” He canted his head, then finally turned and broke their eye contact as he led the way out of the garage and down the sidewalk.  
.oOo.

The _Blue Star_ diner was probably the most picturesque place in Paul that Jared had seen yet. He remarked on it, once he and Jensen had been seated in one off its vinyl booths. “This is cute,” he said.

“I guess.”

Jared tried to relax back into his seat, act nonchalant in the hopes that the younger man would relax as well. “So you work at the garage.”

A silent nod.

“Full time?”

“Just about. Summertime there’re lots of travelers passing through, vacationing. Things break down, need fixing.” Jensen fiddled with the saltshaker. He peeked at Jared. “How about you? Are you finally a lawyer?”

Jared tried not to smile too big, overly-happy that Jensen was asking about him, initiating conversation. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, finally.” He tilted his head. “I wrote you, you know.” He’d given up on the phone calls long ago. “You never answered.”

Jensen seemed to freeze, caught out. “Well… I dunno.” He grabbed the pepper shaker and stated knocking it against the salt. “But you are? A lawyer now?"

“Yeah. I work for a firm that specializes in were-related cases.”

Jensen’s eyebrows rose as he paid closer attention. “Fighting for our rights?”

Jared smiled. “Occasionally. But mostly I’m a defense lawyer. We get accused off a lot of stuff, you know? And even when a wolf is guilty, the punishment is often unfairly harsh.” He watched Jensen nod unhappily, then dared to add, “I also assist on a lot of hate crimes cases. Instances where wolves have been attacked, hurt.” He watched Jensen carefully, noting his reactions. “…Like your dad, and Bobby.”

Jensen nodded tightly, like he didn’t want to continue discussing it. “Good,” he said. He pulled out one of the menus and unfolded it, starting to read from its plastic pages. “I’m glad.”

Jared figured that meant the topic was over. He bit his lip and nodded to himself, reaching for a menu of his own. He noted the design on the front with the diner’s logo. _Blue Star_. He traced it with his finger and said, “The motel I’m at has the same name.”

Jensen nodded, not pulling his eyes up from his menu. “Yeah. A lot of places in town do. Or did. Most of ‘em are closed up, now.”

“I noticed. Was it pack property?” Jared guessed. They had a similar situation in San Antonio: _Family Business_.

“After my dad died and we got run out here, Jeff and Bobby were big on the whole communal living thing. They tried to make us a real pack like you guys are. Bought a bunch of properties, started businesses. Got the trailer park up and running for anybody who couldn’t afford a house, which was most folks.”

“I see.” Jared had heard as much. “But it didn’t work.”

Jensen winced down at his menu. He looked like he was trying to forget the past and replace it with a lunch special. “Nothing ever stuck.”

Jared hummed. He skimmed his own menu, looking over the _‘fresh and fit’_ options—there weren’t many. “You know why that was?” he asked.

“No.” 

“What can I get you boys?” 

Jared frowned at the waitress who’d just appeared. “Um…”

“I’ll have the cheeseburger,” Jensen recited. “No pickle, extra mayo. Coke.”

“Fries or chips?”

“Fries.”

Jared winced. The waitress looked at him expectantly and he hurried to say, “The Baja chicken wrap, please. No sauce. And water’s fine I guess.” The waitress nodded, took their menus and left them alone, and Jared found Jensen’s eyes back on him right away.

“So?” Jensen asked. “Why didn’t it work?”

“For a pack to really last, it needs leadership,” Jared said. “An Alpha. And not just any alpha. One who’s strong enough to keep everything running smoothly, to keep everyone in line.”

Jensen nodded. “And that’s you?”

“Come on, Jen, you know it is. You can sense it just as well as anyone else.” Jared watched the other man’s face for any sign of an argument, but none came. 

“Yeah,” Jensen agreed. “I guess so.”

Their drinks arrived and Jared nodded politely at the waitress, who thankfully seemed to get that she should move away. Jared pressed on. “I can help your pack. I want to. But I can’t come here and claim to be their Alpha if I don’t also mate with the pack omega.”

This was where Jensen flinched. He wasted time breaking a straw out of its wrapper and tucking it into his coke, taking a few sips. When he raised his eyes again, it was with a look of _‘well? Go on’._

Jared firmed his jaw. “My plan is to have a town hall next week, present the options to the pack and let them ask questions before they decide what they want to do. Anybody who wants to move east will have assistance and my guarantee of protection as pack Alpha.”

“You think they’ll accept you?” Jensen asked, tone mild. “Just like that?”

“They should. I’ll have mated you by then and—”

Jensen’s palm appeared on the tabletop in a sort of startled slap. He was staring. “What?”

Jared tried again. “Jen,”

“ _Stop_ calling me that.”

“You know it’s what needs to happen,” Jared said. “It’ll help the pack. It’ll help you.”

“Me?” Jensen sounded incredulous. “It’ll help me? Personally?”

“Yes.” Another scoff from Jensen. Jared pursed his lips. “You’re unhappy.”

“Bet your ass.”

“No, I mean in general. You’re unhappy.” It was obvious that Jensen didn’t like hearing this, but he also didn’t offer any argument. He just sipped angrily at his coke. Jared said, “You’ve got this shell around you that didn’t used to be there. It’s like you don’t let anyone in.”

Jensen glared at him. “Bobby tell you that?”

“I figured it out for myself,” Jared snapped. “Why are you so defensive? So angry?”

“I’m not!”

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Why’d you drop out of school when you were almost finished?”

Jensen froze, clearly taken-aback. “I—what?”

“You heard me.”

Jensen scowled. “I dunno. I just did. I was tired of it. What’s it matter to you, anyway? That was over a year ago.”

“You were doing well,” Jared pushed. “Brought your grades up to straight A’s after they put you into the Specials program.” Jared watched as Jensen’s expression became guarded, the green of his eyes darkening to a less-friendly jade. Jared tilted his head coaxingly, proceeding with caution in his voice as he said, “You thrived in every omega-track class they put you in, Jensen. Suddenly you were acing math and science classes you used to hate? Acting well adjusted?”

Jensen drew into himself. “I dunno.”

“It’s because you liked it, didn’t you? You liked learning how to care for others.” Jared watched him carefully. “Was that the first time you ever took pride in it? In your designation?”

“So what if I did?” Jensen hissed, cutting him off. “Doesn’t matter. I changed my mind. I don’t care about any of that. I _don’t_ want to be someone’s bitch.”

Jared inhaled deeply and sat back in his side of the booth, let it out in a sigh. He looked sadly at Jensen, and he could tell the other wolf knew that he was exposed. “And that’s what it was, wasn’t it?” At Jensen’s pinched look and evasive shake of the head, Jared pressed, “All the fights you started getting into with other kids at school; it wasn’t anybody else in the omega-track, was it?” No answer from Jensen, but it really wasn’t needed. “They what, started making passes at you? Mean comments?”

Jensen was staring at the Formica tabletop like he thought he could escape through it. He gave one, tight nod. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah they did.”

“How many?” 

“Enough.” Jensen’s nostrils flared wide as he sniffed the air, and then Jared’s did too and the next second their waitress was arriving, shoving their sandwich platters across the table at them. 

“Thanks,” Jared grunted, waiting until she went away. “Jen? So you started fighting and gave up?”

“No,” Jensen said. “Not until some of their parents joined in. A couple of the teachers.” His gaze, which was boring holes through his cheeseburger, lifted up, and the sight of the hurt and shame in the kid’s eyes made Jared want to drive a fist through any person who’d made his mate feel this way. “And you weren’t here, so it’s not like I could say I had an Alpha. I _didn’t_. I had to deal with it myself.”

Jared’s lips parted, horror dawning on him. “Oh, Jensen—”

“Junior year I had teachers telling me to apply to colleges—good ones. By Senior year it was the opposite. My Specials teachers were _hitting_ on me. I got tired of it. I quit.”

Jared grit his teeth, furious. “So you proved them right?”

“What?!” Jensen looked at him, hurt. “No I didn’t! I wasn’t gonna sit around and continue going to all those Susie Homemaker classes when they thought that’s all I was good for!”

“But you liked it. It made you happy.”

Jensen colored and averted his eyes. “Other things make me happy.”

“Yeah, like what? Being an asshole to me? To your family? Working at the garage?”

Jensen raised his chin defensively. “I’m good at it.”

“What happened to the daycare job?”

Jensen laughed, though there was no humor to it. He grabbed up his cheeseburger and took a huge bite. “They fired me.”

“What? Why?” The last Jared had heard from Jeff, Jensen had been exceptional with kids. “I thought you liked it?”

“I didn’t,” Jensen hissed. “Not like that. Watching all those kids left alone? Toddlers, babies?” He made a disgusted noise in his throat. “Humans are so warped. They all drop ‘em off in the morning on their way through town, going to work in El Paso. Don’t see their kids till late. What’s the point of even having children if you can’t raise them?”

Jared thought he could see where this was going. Werewolves, of course, would rather die than place their pups in daycare like humans did. It was unnatural. “Please tell me you kept this to yourself?”

“I tried. But watching those kids be treated like that… it was too much. Humans are so clueless. They don’t realize the damage they’re doing. Think it’s totally fine to just let strangers do all the work, pick their kids up at the end of the day when they’re too tired for anything good and spend three, maybe four hours of less than quality time with them. Miss every fucking thing that matters.” He scoffed. “You could _smell_ it on the babies, how it was hurting them. Talk about _attachment disorders_. Inconvenient-fucking-truth."

Jared sighed. “So you told the parents this?”

“They didn’t want to hear it. Got all offended—”

“Well of course they did! Jesus, Jen.”

“Just because it stings doesn’t mean it’s not reality.” Jensen glared at him. “So yeah, I told them they were raising their kids like shit. My bosses got complaints.” He sniffed, took another huge bite off his sandwich, which by this point was almost gone—kid could eat. “I hear they have a no-Were hire policy now. Off the books, of course.”

Jared groaned. “Well can you blame them?” He shook his head at Jensen, frustrated. “So what? Now you’ve made up your mind to act like the biggest jerk you can? Sabotage opportunities for yourself? Ignore your nature just to spite some people who belittled you in high school?”

Jensen colored. “ _No,_ I just—”

“Because I can’t even begin to tell you how stupid that is,” Jared growled. “You _like_ being omega, Jensen. It makes you feel happy. Fulfilled.” He tilted his head knowingly at the other man. “Makes everything in your life feel better, doesn’t it? And now you’re just angry all the time. Why do you think that is?”

Jensen looked pained at hearing that; scared and caught, like a rabbit that couldn’t decide whether it was better to run, or just give in so it could be dead all the faster. “You’re just like everybody else,” he muttered, little conviction in his voice. His fingers inched towards the wrapped piece of pie.

Jared snatched it back out of reach across the table. “No, I’m not. I’m a good man, Jensen. I’m a _very_ good Alpha. I can take care of you. You can take care of me.” When Jensen’s eyes shot up at that, surprise lightening them to a sweeter color, Jared nodded. “You told me your wolf liked it, liked me. You said you thought it’d be a good idea.”

Jensen blushed and looked away. “That was years ago.” He tried for the pie again but was denied.

“Hasn’t changed its mind, has it?”

Jensen scowled at him. “Maybe it’s not about what my wolf wants, huh?”

“It should be.” Jared unwrapped the slice of pie and slid it permissively across the table to Jensen. The omega snatched it up with a snarl. “Bobby says you’re all messed up,” Jared announced. “I’m inclined to agree.”

“Fuck Bobby and fuck you,” Jensen said, though it was half-hearted, most of his attention already fixed on digging into his slice of apple pie. He moaned as he ate the first forkful, eyes slipping shut. “Fuck.”

Jared’s lips quirked despite himself. It was nice, seeing the omega let go and enjoy himself, even in something as small as this. It made Jared think of… other things. He cleared his throat after Jensen finished a few more blissful bites. “Good?” he asked.

Jensen’s eyes opened. “Yeah.”

Jared sighed and nodded, watched him eat for a bit more. He unwrapped his own slice of pie and ate some of it. When it seemed like the sugar fix might be calming Jensen down somewhat, Jared dared to continue, “Things are really good out in San Antonio, you know. We live communally. Our _Blue Star_ 's are the _Family Business_ , and none of it's boarded up. There’s revenue, resources, social assistance. Everybody takes care of each other.” He tried to give Jensen a soft look that he wouldn’t bristle at. “There’s a place for you there. You could be yourself. Nobody would make you feel lesser for it. Our pack is actually educated about designation. Omegas are _valued_.”

Jensen chewed more slowly as he took that in. He looked hesitant. “…What about the humans?” he asked. 

Jared smiled. “It’s completely different there, I swear. People understand a lot better. They’re uh… more culturally sensitive.”

Jensen snorted. “I’ll bet. That’s why your docket’s full, right?”

“Cases come from all over. But my work helps protect the pack. The income alone helps everybody. Hey.” Jared reached across the table, asking for Jensen’s hand. After a strongly hesitant pause, Jensen screwed up his face and gave it. Jared gave him a reassuring squeeze. “It’ll be alright,” he said. “You’ll see. I’ll take care of you.”

For the barest, most split-second imaginable, Jensen’s eyes got all soft and wanting, his scent lightening to something beautiful. His lips parted like he’d say something agreeable, but then,

“Jensen!” 

The ‘ding’ of the bell above the diner’s door sounded as it opened and shut, three wolves—two male, one female; all around Jensen’s age—calling his name out like it was the beginning line to a joke. Jared instantly knew they were trouble. Jensen jerked his hand out of Jared’s and straightened up in his seat. He looked warily over as the group of three approached. “Hey,” Jensen mumbled.

“Hiya,” one of them greeted when they were close. “What’s up?” His eyes flicked over Jensen, the slices of pie, Jared. His smile grew. “You on a date?”

“ _No_.”

The kid didn’t listen. He nodded at Jared respectfully, as if that was supposed to make up for the way he was addressing Jensen (it didn’t). “Alpha,” he said, hollow reverence in his tone. Jared doubted the kid had ever addressed anyone by the title in his life. He probably didn’t even understand the meaning of it. “Good to see somebody’s finally treating our Jenny right.” He smirked at Jensen, who was now glaring. “Some of us have tried of course, but he’s never let any of us… buy him pie.” 

Behind Asshole #1, another of the wolves snickered, and the third lifted her nose, markedly scenting the air. “Guess he’s gonna give it up real soon,” she muttered to Asshole #2, loud enough to be heard but still pretend that she hadn’t meant to. “That’s not the pie I’m smellin’.”

Two things happened at once. Jensen’s fork clattered as he dropped it, claws popping over the Formica; and Jared shot up to standing in the booth. All three of the kids flinched back and Jared was halfway through growling out, “What the _fuck_ is your problem,” when Jensen pushed out from the booth, shoved past them and left the diner completely, nearly ripping the front door off its hinges. Jared could only track him as far at the diner’s windows went, then he lost sight of him. He frowned, worrying about where the upset omega was off to. He hoped just back to his job at the garage.

Asshole #1 was sucking his teeth in mock-sympathy. “He gets so _emotional_. I hope you can handle him, man.”

Jared felt anger boil up in him and he fought to contain it. _These_ were the sorts of pricks who had made Jensen so ashamed of his designation that he’d dropped out of school and become a rebel without a cause. It was a shame. In a real pack, no one would have dared. In a _real_ pack, punks like these kids would’ve been raised to respect omegas. Jared stepped out of the booth and pulled himself up to his full height. He stepped closer into the younger wolves’ space. “Listen to me, you puny pup,” he growled. “You’re nothing compared to him. You’re pathetic. You couldn’t earn yourself a mate like him if your life depended on it. So wipe that stupid fucking smirk off your face and show some respect.” He leant in, intimidating Asshole #1 into baring his neck. “I’m your new Alpha, kid,” he growled. “If you and your friends know what’s good for you, you’ll remember to act like it. If you’re too stupid to know what that means, then go ask your parents. And any time you see Jensen? You’d just better remember his place in this pack. He’s as good as your Alpha too, now.” He pulled back, not surprised to see something bordering on terrified obedience covering the kid’s face. The other two looked only slightly less stricken. Jared smirked. “We’re having a pack meeting soon. I’ll explain everything. You might decide to come along to San Antonio, or you can stay in this shithole of a town, but either way?” He raised an eyebrow, reached back and plucked off a piece of the berry pie’s crust just for one last taste. He left the rest, walking towards the door and handing the waitress the two twenties when he saw her. He caught the kids’ eyes as he hauled the door open. “Either way, you’re _his_ bitch, now.”

He left the diner with the interesting scent-blend of blackberry-thyme pie and pissed-pants mad teenagers warring in his nostrils.


	3. Small Game, wild-caught, raw (probably rabbit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is some werewolf sex in this. Not described at length but I kind of feel like it's getting into beastiality territory at the very end. That's not really the point of it or how I'm intending it to be taken, but fair warning. All sexual activity going forward will be between the guys in their human forms.

When he rushed out of the diner to try and see where Jensen ran off to, it wasn’t hard to find him. The smell of upset omega lead Jared down the sidewalk and around the corners of several defunct businesses. He cornered him in between the back of an old brick building and the tin wall of another. There wasn’t anyone around, and so when Jensen’s upset eyes flicked up to him with a warning glare, Jared ignored it.

“Don’t,” Jensen said.

“Don’t what?” Jared stepped closer, getting into Jensen’s space against the wall. Way too close for human personal space, not as much for wolves like them.

“What happened in there,” Jensen mumbled. “Don’t try and make it okay. Just… forget it.” Jensen looked equal parts embarrassed, angry, and flat out tired. 

It made Jared want to scoop him up and take him someplace safe. Maybe a den in the woods. He had to curl his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out to hold the kid. “Hey,” he said, careful to keep his voice soft. “I’m not gonna talk about it if you don’t want.”

Jensen nodded tightly. “What’d you do to them?”

“Nothing.”

Jensen’s lips quirked. He looked distrusting. “Yeah, right.”

Jared shrugged and smiled. “A friendly warning. I told them that you’re my omega, and that puts them well beneath you in pack order.” Jared watched as emotions played over Jensen’s pretty features. There was indignance, but then after that there was reluctant pleasure. Jared wanted to coax more of the latter out. “Hey,” he said, finally letting himself touch Jensen, reaching up with a hand to palm the side of his neck, his jaw. “Forget them, alright? You’re with me now.”

Jensen squirmed. “Gotta get back to work.” 

“You don’t _have_ to do anything,” Jared said. “How long are you going to be there, anyways, before the move to San Antonio?”

Jensen flushed and frowned, but he didn’t make any argument about how he wasn’t going to be moving, which pleased Jared immensely. Instead he just shrugged, trying to pull himself up to a taller height in a manner that Jared found kind of adorable. “I should go back,” he said, but it lacked conviction. 

“Why don’t we do something?”

“What?”

Jared smiled a little. “We could run.”

“What?” Jensen’s scent spiked with interest but he looked wary. “You mean…”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. Together. You and me.”

Jensen looked like he wanted to agree, which excited Jared to no end. But he held back, protesting, “We don’t really have land for that.”

“We don’t have to go far,” Jared said, eager to capitalize on this new willingness he was seeing in Jensen. He leaned in and nosed under the hinge of his jaw, scenting him deeply and obviously. He wasn’t rough about it because he didn’t want to spook the other man and have him push away. Jensen went tense underneath him for a moment, but then he relaxed, allowing it. Jared smiled against his skin. “Come on,” he coaxed. “It’ll be fun. You can show me around, burn off some energy.”

“E-energy?” Jensen stuttered. He smelled…

Jared pulled back and met his eyes. Such a light green right now, more sage than forest because of the way the afternoon sun was hitting them, so unusual. _Beautiful_ , his mind said, quickly echoed by a growled agreement of _“Mate”_ , from his wolf. He offered Jensen a tender look, praying it wouldn’t be shot down. “You still haven’t hit it,” he said.

Jensen winced and turned his head away. “No.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Of course I do!” Jensen hissed. “I have a job I have to show up for, you know. Think it’s fun, working like that?”

“I’ll tell your boss you need the time off,” Jared offered, but that was met with a mighty scoff from Jensen.

“No! He’s human. He won’t understand.”

“If I explain to him—”

“What?” Jensen growled. “So my coworkers can make jokes about me being on the rag? No thank you.” He glared at Jared. “Just stay out of it.”

“So let’s run,” Jared said. He held his gaze firmly, showed him there was no mocking or derision here. “Tell ‘em you’re sick and you need the rest of the day. You can be with me. I’ll stay with you the whole time.” 

Jensen shivered, his body letting off even more of that sweet, pre-heat scent that was getting harder and harder for Jared to resist. _God_ , he just wanted to clamp his teeth around that spot in Jensen’s neck, make that 7am pancake smell turn into something richer, deeper. Jared pressed their bodies closer together and his hands found Jensen’s hips. Jensen grabbed him at the shoulders like he’d push him off. “Don’t,” Jared murmured. “Don’t fight me, Jen. Come on. Please.”

Maybe it was the ‘please’ that did it, but Jensen relaxed the tiniest bit. His hands stopped pushing and instead just touched. His eyes flicked up to stare at Jared. He licked his lips nervously. “I’ve never… shared it, with anyone before.”

Oh, but that made all of the possessive wolf parts of Jared’s hindbrain growl in satisfaction. He tried to remain human and just smile. “You’ve never paired.”

Jensen shook his head. Suddenly he looked much more vulnerable. “M’not a virgin,” he said, like he was defending himself. It made Jared snort.

“Yeah, I gathered as much.” Jensen’s eyes narrowed and he made to push again. But it was weak and uninspired. Jared easily stopped it. “Don’t have to prove anything to me, little wolf,” he murmured, pushing Jensen harder against the wall by his hips, putting his nose back against the warm curve of his neck. “I didn’t think you were saving yourself for me.”

“Good,” Jensen snipped, though it was kind of ruined by the way his voice went breathy at the end. He liked the way that Jared was scenting him more aggressively now. Liked being pushed against the wall too, most likely.

“Tell me it’s just been humans,” Jared said, couldn’t keep himself from saying, even though it was needy and he really didn’t want to focus on either of their past sex lives. His wolf was a different creature though; it needed to know. “Tell me.”

“Yeah,” Jensen agreed. “Just… just humans.”

Jared growled. “Good.” He fit his teeth against Jensen’s scent gland, could feel how swollen it was beneath the skin. “God, want to pair with you,” he groaned. “Say I can.”

Jensen shook his head, whimpered little noises that sounded like ‘no’ and ‘yes’ at the same time. Made him sound like prey. Jared ripped his mouth away from his neck as he felt his teeth start to shift. He took a step back, forcing space between them. When he met Jensen’s eyes, he knew that his own had shifted. Jensen was looking at them with something bordering on desire. Or maybe terror.

“They red?” Jared asked.

Jensen gave a little nod. “I… I’ve never seen that. Not since I was little.”

“Your dad?”

Again, Jensen nodded, and the mention of Alpha Ackles brought the mood back down to something safer. Jared tried not to preen at the things he could see Jensen figuring out in his mind. Only pack alphas had eyes that’d go red. It was a dominance thing, a competence thing. Jared stood there and waited. “I…” Jensen started, then paused, bit his goddamn lip again. Kid had no idea how good he looked. “I’ll run with you,” he finally said. And he was trying to brave, to match Jared’s dominance with the masculine jut to his jaw, shoulders wide and voice forced to its deepest register. It _did_ things to Jared’s insides, to be challenged like that by his own omega.

“Good,” he managed to say, English words quickly becoming difficult as he reached for the hem of his shirt, tugged up and over, felt his hair go messy from it. “Come on.”

“Wait.” 

It was firm enough to get Jared’s attention. His eyes refocused. He waited. Jensen was breathing open mouth by now. His hands were on his jeans, fingers near the belt like they’d undo it. “You have to promise you won’t bond me,” he said.

Jared groaned, eyes slipping shut. “I can’t promise that,” he said. “Jensen, you know I can’t.” Even if he’d wanted to, his wolf was going to be sinking fang the second they were knotted. Jared opened his eyes again, hoped that Jensen could see the humanity behind the red. “I _have_ to—”

“Just not this time,” Jensen said. He looked pained, like he wanted to shift and run and fuck as badly as Jared did—hell probably more, since he was the one about to hit heat. “Don’t do it today. Give me a little more time, please.”

Jared wanted to explode, didn’t understand why the hell that made any sense whatsoever. But he could see the pleading in Jensen’s eyes, could see how much he meant it, for whatever reason. He could smell how much the kid wanted to let go and do this with him. All he needed now was Jared’s promise.

“Fine,” he gritted, managing to mean it. “I don’t see what the point is, but fine. I won’t bond you.”

Jensen took him at his word. Jared wasn’t lying when he said that he wouldn’t bite right through Jensen’s pretty scent gland when he was balls deep in him, but he kind of hated that the other wolf believed him so easily. He was too trusting. “Okay,” Jensen said, and the assertiveness was gone from his voice and his posture again. His fingers made quick work of his belt, then his pants. When he saw Jared just staring, he urged him on. “Come on, let’s go!”

It made Jared grin, the eagerness that Jensen now had for it. Jared had no doubt that he could force the kid right into his heat as soon as they were shifted, but it occurred to him that he should probably go back to the garage and tell Jensen’s human boss something about why his employee wasn’t coming back. “You have to tell your boss,” he said, because he knew that Jensen would prefer to do it himself. “You have a cell?” 

Jensen was clearly taken aback by that, but after a second he nodded. He fished it out of his pants pocket and dialed the number, making some lame excuse to his boss, mentioning “wolf stuff” in a vague manner that most humans would be too shy to pry further into. Jensen’s boss clearly was. Jared’s enhanced hearing could pick up on the man’s voice over the line, his grumpy acceptance that he was losing an employee to biology that he didn’t fully understand. Jared wondered if Jensen had told him he’s omega. 

“Okay,” Jensen said, hanging up. Before Jared knew it, Jensen was already naked and huddling down on the ground in preparation. Jared hurried to shed the rest of his clothes and join him. “Nearest treeline?” he asked, probably the last human speech he’d be capable of, since he could feel his gums aching, his skin itching from the fur that was about to shoot through like new grass.

When Jensen turned his head over, his eyes were far more yellow than they were green. He grunted in a pleasure-pained way and nodded towards the end of the alley. _Not far_. Then his eyes slammed shut and he shifted.

.oOo.

It was a myth that canines were colorblind. Wolves could see in shades of grey, blue and yellow. It sounded limited, but when you factored in the sensitivity to sound and touch and smell that came with a shift, it was anything but. Jared never felt more vibrant and alive than he did when he was running. Getting to see Jensen’s wolf form again felt like the greatest gift, especially when Jared was right there with him, big and black to Jensen’s small and red.

Jensen’s wolf was nearly half the size of Jared’s. Newly-shifted, they greeted each other with a quick rub of muzzles, a gentle checking in before turning to more serious business. Jensen led the way and Jared followed after him, loping lazy big steps behind Jensen’s faster pace. They crossed a couple of back alleys and squeezed between buildings, and then they were suddenly away from the town, packed earth giving way to tall brush grass and then trees. Jared felt himself relax, at home in the woods and away from the threat of people. Here it just smelled like pine needles and Jensen, which was a far cry better than the scent of human houses, cars and bodies. Securely in the forest, he chuffed happily and lunged forward to grab at Jensen’s tail. _Come here. Mine._.

Jensen yipped in an overly-dramatic way, but Jared just growled and lunged to get him again. Jensen’s small wolf whirled around and snarled at him, yellow-green eyes narrowed in warning. _Make me_. 

Jared panted happily, waiting for the other wolf to get with the program.

It took a moment, but Jensen’s fur went down and he came closer, sniffing experimentally. Jared whined and lowered his head to the ground, moving forward in a low half-crawl, encouraging Jensen’s shy wolf to say hello. Jensen pawed at the dirt for a second, stalling but then he worked up the nerve and came closer, sticking his nose into the fur at Jared’s neck. Jared rumbled in approval, allowing Jensen to scent him for a few seconds before his wolf demanded that he take over control. He surged up from the ground, surprising another yip out of Jensen. But this time he didn’t give him time to pull away. Jared growled and pounced, tumbling them until the smaller wolf was underneath. Jared snarled and held his teeth to Jensen’s neck, waiting to hear the thready whine of submission he was looking for. When he did, he nosed and licked Jensen’s neck in approval, then nipped once, _Hold still_ , and went lower. 

Jensen held stock still as Jared nosed along his underside, nuzzling the soft fur that turned white at his belly. His scent was stronger here, making Jared’s head swim with lust and the urge to _take_. Jared whined and nudged, telling Jensen that he could let go now, fall into his heat cycle. Jared wouldn’t let another wolf touch him. He gave a prodding growl, _Mine._

Jensen seemed receptive, at least. He was panting heavily now, his scent growing stronger, bleeding into that earthy, rich smell of true heat. Jared was sure his wolf had triggered it and he growled happily, feeling utterly possessive and eager for what he’d do to Jensen next. He pawed at Jensen and nosed further down, sticking his muzzle between the other wolf’s legs, licking him there, nosing under his tail—

Jensen jerked to life, catching Jared off guard and wiggling out from underneath him. He scrambled away, shooting off into the forest at warp speed.

Jared fell onto his side with a surprised huff. He felt everything in him sing in pleasure as he watched Jensen run away. Licking up over his nose to catch the taste of slick that he’d just barely managed to gather, he got to his feet. He hoped Jensen would run fast, he wanted a good chase.

Jensen was small and in heat, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t evade capture. He was lightening fast, and he knew the woods better than Jared. He found a stream and managed to use the water to mask his scent for a little bit, but Jared was a good tracker and had all the skill of a pack Alpha going after what was his. It wasn’t long before he was tackling Jensen all over again, only this time with far more seriousness than before. They skidded for several feet across the summer-dry brush before Jared had him firmly underneath him.

Jensen gave it up right away, going limp and receptive when Jared clamped down on the scruff of his neck. He whined in submission and rolled over, showing his belly, tail thumping hard in the forest underbrush. _Happy to be caught_. Jared’s wolf howled in satisfaction at the display. He pounced down on Jensen’s smaller form, covering him with his bulk and wasting no time in sticking his muzzle back under the omega’s tail. _Mine_. He was wet there, his body scenting so strong it made Jared hard. He growled and shoved Jensen down, mounting him from behind and humping up against him. He waited to see if the omega would offer another token fight—if he did, that was fine. Jared would be more than happy to chase him down again, if that’s what Jensen needed. But he didn’t fight Jared off. Instead he lowered his front and held still for him, letting him find the right angle and slot home inside of his body. 

Jared’s world narrowed down to the feeling of being inside his mate. He snarled and locked his paws on him, setting teeth to his scruff to make sure that he wouldn’t move. Not that he had to worry. Jensen keened and gave into it just beautifully.


	4. Hollandaise Sauce

Jared woke up in the woods feeling somewhat hungover. 

“Ugh.” He groaned and squinched his eyes, rolling to his side and feeling disoriented. He _hurt_. His body didn’t want to be human; naked skin on harsh forest floor. It’d been too long, he thought as he blinked at the tree-filtered morning light. Too long since he’d shifted. He was getting too old for that.

Bad luck meant that the firm had been slammed with a capital case during the last two full moons. Not Jared’s division; nothing werewolf related, just some human who’d killed another human. But Jared was still the firm newbie and nobody had had to _say_ anything to make it known that it was all hands on deck, especially if he ever wanted to make partner. He hadn’t been able to get away long enough to run with the pack either month.

The effect of putting off a shift until now was making his body feel like he’d just started back up with hard core workouts after months of inactivity. His muscles didn’t _understand_. Jared grunted and rolled up to a sitting position, pine needles digging against his ass. He was _very_ aware that he’d had sex. The evidence of it was kind of plastered on the inside of one of his thighs, as were a few pieces of dead leaves. He frowned and began to pick them off, nosing at the air before he even realized that he was alone, or that he disliked that.

“…Jensen?” His tongue moved in his mouth like a recalcitrant thing, speech feeling unnatural even though he was back to his human form. They’d stayed shifted for hours, he remembered keenly. Two hard-packed forms of muscle and fur and instinct, fucking and running and fucking again. Tearing through the dark and ripping apart a small animal between the two of them (rabbit, he thought it might've been). Being human again felt wrong, as did Jensen’s obvious absence. Jared looked around and tried to use more of his human senses to figure out what was what. 

He realized how close he was to the Morgan’s house when he heard the barely-there trickle of the stream, smelled the burn pile. He was likely already somewhere on the property, and he realized that Jensen must’ve purposefully led them back this way at the end of their run. That put Jared in a better mood. He wouldn’t have to shift to get back to town for his clothes and things. He could recoup at the house. Eat, dress. Hopefully reconnect with Jensen.

With a sigh that was roughly equal parts satisfied and bone-weary, he got to his feet and started off in the direction of the house. He saw the house and was already looking back down at his bare feet in the grass as he crossed the yard and heard a faint, 

_“Hol-y shit.”_

He glanced up, saw two faces in the back window that looked out from the kitchen, saw the faces disappear. It was Jensen and Adam. Adam was the one who had cursed. Jared couldn’t see them anymore, but they were talking.

 _“Shut up.”_ Jensen’s voice.

 _“How could you turn_ that _down?”_

An annoyed grunt from Jensen. _“Obviously, I didn’t.”_

_“He is a specimen. Did you see his… his… his everything??”_

_“Get away from the window! He’s going to see you.”_

_“Don’t care. Oof. I think my ovaries just exploded.”_

_“You’re so stupid.”_

_“Seriously. You’re the one in heat. How have your ovaries not exploded? Look at him!”_

_“I saw him.”_ Jensen’s voice was dry. _“Calm down. Jesus.”_

Jared grinned as he went up on the back porch and listened further. His hearing was always more sensitive after a shift, and even then, more sensitive than most other wolves. He figured that maybe Jensen and his brother didn’t realize he could hear them from outside the house right now. He leaned against the screen door and listened to them bicker for a minute longer, before pushing through.

“You’re not whisking it fast enough,” Jensen was hissing. “It’s going to break! Give it here.”

Jared walked into the kitchen to see Jensen hugging a large ceramic bowl to his front, right arm moving at warp speed with a whisk. He was dressed in pajama pants and an old teeshirt, hair still damp from a shower. His eyes flicked up right away—keen, green. Happy and trying not to show it.  
Jared caught the scent of lemon juice and sugar, eggs. Jensen. He smiled softly at him. “Morning.”

Jensen’s lips twitched. He was still whisking furiously and clearly peeved at his brother for having done a half-assed job at making… whatever it was they were making. “Hey,” he said. “You made it back.”

“You expected me not to?”

Adam was at the stove, fishing blobs out of boiling water with a slotted spoon. He looked very enthused to see Jared, which was both hilarious and inappropriate. He was biting his lip and letting his eyes peruse him freely, trailing up and down his naked form in a way that was brazen even for a wolf. Jared thought that he was finally coming to see the extent of the kid’s crush on him. “Hi, Adam,” he greeted. “Making us breakfast?”

Adam beamed and Jensen scowled. “Failing’s more like it.” He gave the yellow puddle in the bowl an ugly look and proceeded to dump it in the trashcan. “M’gonna have to start over,” he grumbled. 

Jared shrugged and leaned against the kitchen wall, well aware that he was putting his nakedness on full display but not really caring. “I can wait.” He scratched at his lower stomach with the blunt ends of his nails. “Should probably shower.”

Adam looked like he would swallow his own tongue. Jensen just smirked and nodded, directing him towards the stairs. “Go on. Jeff probably has some clothes that’ll fit you. Or, well…” His eyes flicked up and down Jared’s form, squinting in doubt. “Fit you well enough,” he amended. “Till you get your things.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll um, leave some stuff just outside the bathroom door up there, for when you’re finished,” Jensen said.

Jared was very, very tempted to ask if he wanted to join him. But one glance to Adam and he decided to hold his tongue. “Kay,” he said. “Thanks. Uh, see you guys in a bit.” He trudged up the stairs, grateful that he didn’t run into Jeff on the way. Shutting himself in the hall bathroom, he could hear as Adam started back up on talking about him to Jensen downstairs. 

“I just don’t get you. He’s perfect, you know. Why didn’t you let him?”

“Just because he’d bite me doesn’t mean we’d suddenly be a perfect match or whatever,” Jensen said.

“Close enough to it. What’re you so afraid of anyway? He seems like a nice guy.”

“You just like him because he compliments your cooking. Grow up.”

A low, embarrassed growl from Adam. “I’m not some stupid kid anymore. I _know_ how bonds work, and everybody and their uncle can sense how your wolf and his—”

“How about: it’s none of your business, then?” Jensen snapped. “I’m making decisions for myself.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Mr. Independent, but you’re the pack Omega. If you don’t want to live up to that fact, then there are plenty of other people who’d be glad to take your place.”

Jared winced against the bathroom door even as he heard Jensen growl at Adam’s challenge.

“Shut your mouth. When and how I bond with him are none of your business. If you keep pestering me about it, I’ll… I’ll beat you up.” Silence, a few noises of footsteps crossing the kitchen floor, dishes being picked up. “Now here, take this and pay attention. You have to whisk _rapidly_ or else the emulsion’ll break.”

“And everybody acts like _I’m_ the cook of the family.”

“ _Pay attention._ Christ. Don’t want to waste these ingredients twice…”

Exhaling, Jared stepped away from the closed bathroom door and reached to turn on the tub’s spigot, grateful when the rush of water drowned out whatever else the two brothers were talking about. He pulled the diverter up and the spray burst against the plastic shower curtain even louder. He stepped in.

.oOo.

“You know,” Jared said as he came down the last few stairs and returned to the kitchen. “My hearing’s really sensitive.”

Jensen looked over. He was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, booted feet propped up on the table. His eyes raked up and down Jared’s form, which by now was freshly-showered and dressed in Jeff’s not-quite-big-enough clothes. “How sensitive?” he asked. 

“Enough to hear people talking from a few rooms away, if I focus.” Jared knew it didn’t warrant any further explanation. The look on Jensen’s face told him that he understood. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t focus so hard, then.”

“Maybe.”

Jensen’s eyes flicked toward the screen door that led off the back of the kitchen. “Adam’s on the porch out there. With Jeff.”

Jared nodded. He wasn’t focusing exactly, but he could hear the faint murmur of their morning chatter, could smell the scent of coffee wafting in. Realizing that he might only have a few more moments of privacy left with Jensen before the day crashed over them, he went over to the table and took a seat in the chair next to him. He pushed at one of the other man’s boots while pulling a plate over and scooping food onto it. “Feet off the table,” he said.

Jensen listened, mouth quirking as he did. “Aren’t mother hen lines like that supposed to be mine?”

Jared shrugged. He ladled some of the—now successful—hollandaise sauce onto his eggs. “I dunno. You don’t seem like a mother hen type to me.” He waited for Jensen to speak, but when he didn’t say a word, Jared added, “But you’re the one who’s actually responsible for this?” He indicated the food—there were also healthy portions of bacon, sausage and scratch-made biscuits on the table. “More secret recipes?”

Jensen shrugged. “Maybe. Adam can cook.”

“Because he learned from you.”

“He’s good enough. And if you’re looking for a ‘mother hen’ type…”

Jared groaned. “Yeah. I heard him before.”

“So?” Jensen wasn’t looking away now. He seemed interested. “You gonna take him up on his offer?”

“Please.” Jared scoffed. “You’re the old Alpha’s son. It has to be you I mate with or else nobody’s going to respect my authority. You know that.” Again, Jensen didn’t say anything, but he didn’t argue the point, which was nice. If nothing else, Jared was relieved that his mate-to-be was a realist. He nodded in satisfaction and dug into his food, just barely managing to hold back a moan when the first forkful was in his mouth. He closed his eyes, savoring what was surely another secret Ackles recipe, for a long moment before opening them again. 

When he did it was to see Jensen watching him with what looked like anticipation. Eagerness, maybe. He quickly blinked, shuttering the emotion away. “You like it?”

Jared smiled. Kid couldn’t help but to ask. It was endearing. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah s’amazing.”

“Good.”

Jared took a few more huge bites, then set in to dredging pieces of one of the straight-from-heaven biscuits through the extra sauce. He didn’t worry too much about table manners, given that he was sitting next to Mr. Boots-on-the-table Ackles. “So,” he said after a long pause. “You didn’t seem to like Adam’s idea either.” He could remember the sound of the growl he’d heard; the one Jensen had loosed at the mere suggestion of another omega claiming Jared as their mate. It made him happy, the memory of that growl, the thought that Jensen would be possessive of him. 

“S’because it’s a stupid fucking idea,” Jensen mumbled.

“So then when are you going to let me bond you?”

Jensen stiffened. His eyes flew to assess the kitchen table that sat between them, as if he thought Jared might lunge over and do the deed right on top of the breakfast spread. “I… don’t know,” he said. He looked at Jared, then raked his hands through his hair. “Hell, I don’t even know if I want to…” 

Jared raised his eyebrows in question. 

Jensen huffed in frustration. “I don’t know what I want,” he said. “I just…”

“Last night in the woods didn’t convince you?” 

“Please.” Jensen scowled at him. “Last night was about getting some relief. Not some fated-mate frolic through the woods, or whatever the hell Adam thinks it was.”

Jared wasn’t exactly disappointed to hear Jensen put it that way, but he _was_ disappointed to see the defensive walls coming back up. He could see it in Jensen’s irritated posture, his tense features and waspish tone. “I’m not trying to rush you,” Jared said, hoping that would put the other wolf at ease. “Hell, we don’t have to bond at all before the move, if it’s not what you want.” When Jensen looked up in surprise at that announcement, Jared smiled permissively at him. “Yeah, I’m not going to rush it, Jensen. I can tell you’re afraid of that.”

Jensen frowned. “What I’m _afraid_ of is being roped into a relationship that I don’t want and can’t escape.”

Okay, _that_ kind of stung. Jared tried not to sulk. He distracted himself by reaching for the carton of orange juice and pouring himself a glass. “No bonding till we’re in San Antonio, if that’s what you want. But I have other expectations that you’ll have to meet.”

“Oh?” Jensen looked leery. “And what are those?”

“Well I’ll be scent-marking you regularly,” Jared said, unable to keep his gaze from sliding up and down Jensen’s form where he sat. “Not that I haven’t already, but…”

Jensen frowned and blushed, shifting in place. “Yeah. I _showered_ , dumbass.”

Jared barked out a laugh despite himself. “Yeah.” He raised his wrist, reached over the table and pressed it to Jensen’s neck. He watched in satisfaction as the other wolf accepted it, eyes slipping shut and tilting his head to make it easier for Jared to spread his scent around. Jared spoke quietly, “The stance is: we’re mates. Unbonded as of yet, but you’re mine. My omega. And I’m your alpha. People need to understand that.”

Jensen grumbled. “Yeah, yeah.”

“And the other thing is the um, well… a wedding.”

Jensen’s eyes flew open at that one. “ _What?_ ” His reaction was understandable, and Jared smiled in apology.

“Yeah I know.”

“A _wedding_. Like… courthouse, church, suits and vows, wedding?”

“It’s just for appearances,” Jared excused. _Marriage_ , as it was, was more of a human thing. Weres didn’t usually bother with it. Formal weddings were virtually unheard of. But things in San Antonio were different. Jared told him, explaining, “It’s one of the things we do in our pack, as part of our assimilation protocol.”

“That’s seriously what you call it?” 

“Think of it like public relations. It’s to try and get the wider community to—”

“Like us?”

“Understand us,” Jared corrected. “Humans are—”

“Fickle, judgmental idiots?”

Jared sighed. “Don’t be that way, Jensen.”

“Are you kidding me? Humans murdered my parents.”

“ _A_ human murdered your parents. _Humans_ arrested, prosecuted and sentenced him.”

Jensen growled quietly in his throat. “You really are a bunch of liberal fruitcakes out east, aren’t you?”

“Like it or not, they’re the majority and now they know we exist and how to pick us out. If we want to live in their world, then we need to make efforts to get along. A big part of that is showing them how much alike we are, rather than how different.”

Jensen scoffed. “Yeah. So what? The Pack Alpha has to have a big public wedding to show how normal we are?”

Jared shrugged but he nodded. “It shows that we’re stable, dependable. Wolves mate for life. It’s one way we actually outperform them on their own standards.” 

Jensen looked away. “It’s all a lie. We’re animals. Shouldn’t have to pretend. Or apologize for it.”

“Yeah well…”

“They’d piss themselves if they knew the truth.”

Jared frowned. “Maybe. …Or go back to burning houses down.”

Jensen inhaled sharply. Shocked, perhaps, at how Jared brought it up. Neither one of them had discussed the fire or Alpha Ackles’ murder since Jared had arrived. They hadn’t talked about it at all in years, and now Jared threw the fact out blithely. It was a risky move on his part, but Jensen just nodded tightly at what he’d said. “Yeah, or that.” He pulled away then, sitting back in his chair in a way that made it clear he was cutting Jared off again. “I’m heading out in a little bit.”

“Oh, where?”

Jensen raised an eyebrow. “Just out. Gonna hang out with some friends.” He stared at Jared, clearly waiting for a challenge, or for Jared to demand more details.

It was certainly tempting, but Jared controlled himself. He shrugged and looked down to his plate, scraping up another forkful of eggs. “I was under the impression you didn’t have many friends.”

Jensen opened his mouth to say something back to that, but just at that moment the door to the back porch swung open and Jeff and Adam came in. Jensen immediately switched gears, focusing on the food and ignoring the company. He started loading things onto his plate. 

“Jeff,” Jared greeted amicably. “Morning.”

Jeff’s eyes shot to Jensen, surveying his behavior, then back to Jared. He twisted his lips, looking vaguely uncomfortable but perhaps satisfied. It was obvious that he knew what had transpired between his adopted son and Jared last night. “Morning,” he said. He sat down at the table and reached for the carafe to refill his coffee mug. “Heard you shifted with Jen last night.”

Jared glanced to Jensen, trying to gauge his reaction. But other than a silent snarl at having his name shortened, Jensen just kept devouring his plate of food. “Um… yeah,” Jared said, returning his attention to Jeff. “We ran.” He didn’t say, _“And fucked like bunnies,”_ but it was obvious that was included. Jared didn’t miss how Jeff looked pointedly at Jensen’s unmarked neck. Jared felt like he had to say, “We’ve decided to hold off on bonding for now.” Jensen’s head jerked up, paying attention. Jared offered him a look that he hoped said ‘See? I’ve got your back.’

Jeff didn’t seem pleased, if his quiet grunt was anything to go by. “Folks might not take you seriously,” he said.

“Oh, they will.” Jared reached across the table, taking Jensen’s hand in his. The omega tensed but thankfully didn’t pull away. “We’ll make it clear how things stand.”

“I sure hope so,” Jeff said. “The pack meeting you wanted; Bobby and I’ve been spreading the word. Tonight’s the night, if you put out the call.”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. Good. No need to draw things out.”

“You know what you’re going to say?”

Again, Jared nodded. “Yeah.” Hell, he had a _PowerPoint_ presentation prepared, though he didn’t share that fact with Jeff. He was sure the other alpha would make fun of him for it. “I’ll want you and Bobby up front with me, backing me up,” he said. 

Jeff sipped his coffee with a nod. “‘Course.”

Jared looked over at Jensen. “You too.”

Jensen’s eyes widened the barest bit. “Me?”

“Of course. You’re my mate.”

Jensen swallowed visibly. “The whole pack’ll be there?”

“The pack needs to see you by my side.” Jared watched Jensen’s face as it shuttered. He didn’t like how hesitant the other wolf looked. “Jensen?”

“I’m just omega,” he muttered. 

“The _pack_ Omega,” Jared corrected. "You matter."

Jensen shrugged, pushed the food around on his plate. “I don’t think I need to be there,” he said. 

“Well I wasn’t asking,” Jared said, tone hardening. “You’re coming.” Jensen’s eyes flicked up to him, peeved, and Jared added, “Tonight. Eight o’clock. Elementary school cafeteria.”

“We got permission to use the school?” Jeff asked.

“I’ll get it,” Jared said tersely. He was still watching Jensen, waiting for his reply. “Jensen?” he said. “You’re going to be there. It’s important. Understand?”

Jensen dropped his fork and it clattered on the plate. “Why? Because you say so?"

"Yes."

"So that you can hold me up in front of the whole pack, show them I’m your property?”

Jared’s lips thinned. “To show them that you’re my mate, yes. I thought we agreed that—”

“We didn’t agree on anything,” Jensen hissed, pushing away from the table and standing up. “I can see what’s happening here.”

“What?”

“One night together and now you’re bossing me around.”

Jared flushed. He glanced to Jeff, embarrassed at being spoken to by his omega like this in front of what was practically his father-in-law. He could just see the expectation in Jeff’s expression; how he wanted Jared to reprimand Jensen. Jared glared at Jensen and said, “Sit down. I can explain. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Jensen drew even further back. “No. I don’t think I will sit down. And you know what? Putting myself on display in front of the entire pack doesn’t sound like my cup of tea, so I think I’ll skip that too.”

“Stop being a brat,” Jeff snapped. He looked at Jensen with disgust. “You know it’s what’s needed.”

Jared said, “You’re just acting up now because you don’t want me bossing you around. But that’s not what this is.” When he could see Jensen’s expression waiver, he pressed, “Come on, Jen. I need you. Don’t give me attitude over this.”

That was the wrong thing to say, and Jared could’ve kicked himself for not choosing different phrasing. It came out sounding condescending and authoritarian, and Jared was sure that was why Jensen once again bristled and stepped away. Only this time he kept going, grabbing his keys and wallet from the kitchen counter and heading for the screen door. “I told you,” he said as he left, “I’ve got plans with friends.”

“How can you be so selfish?!” Adam hissed, the first thing he’d said since reentering from the porch with Jeff.

Jensen paused in the doorway. When he looked back, it was at Jared and nobody else. “If you can’t get them to follow you without the _pack Omega_ under your boot, then maybe they shouldn’t follow you at all.” He pushed through the door then, and it cracked loudly in its wooden frame when the spring hinge pulled it back shut.


End file.
